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November, 2014
15 years of promoting awareness of
Indian culture and traditions
2
Republic Day celebration 2014
We thank the members for making Republic Day
celebration successful, by their participation. We
thank people participating in culinary competition,
potluck and cultural activities, and all the volunteers
who worked relentlessly, arrived there at 9:30 AM
and worked until 2:30 PM, including:
Dipen Patel, Amita Patel, Binita and Kalpesh Patel,
Purvesh Patel, Shaila and Rajesh Kaul, Anita Amin,
Hardik and Hiral Shah, Dharni and Kanaiya Naik,
Manoj Tangri, Vandana, Rohini and Mohini, Ravi
Narayanan, Devesh, Aparna Gollapudi, Sudha
Rangnathan, Tejas Tank, Nathan, Mohan and
Mallika, Preety Sathe, Mangesh Shasrabudhe
Writing Contest
Rankings based on blind evaluation by judges using
the rubrics given below. The entries are included in
this document.
Elementary School:
1. Sonika Khosla 1st
2.. Arnav Chitari 2nd
3. Om Rajashekharan 3rd
Junior High
1. Isha Sahasrabuddhe (Most outstanding entry)
2. Milan Khosla 2nd
3. Abheet Sathe 3rd
High School
1. Pranaya Sathe 1st
Culinary Contest
Rankings determined by the panel of judges using
blind evaluation using the scoring sheets given
below.
Adult Main course
1. Swati Dhareshwar Kara Dosa 1st
2. Grace Alberto Paneer Butter Masala 2nd
3. Reena Khosla Banana Roll 3rd
Adult Dessert
1. Geeta Chaurasia Rasmalai (Most outstanding
entry)
2. Sandhya Vishni Rajshekhar Tricolor Trifle 2nd
3. Shanti Dusi Kaala Jamun 3rd
Kids Main course
1. Bean Enchiladas Anushkaran Jha 1st
2. Indian Flag Galaxies Milan Khosla 2nd
Kids Dessert
1. Abheet Sathe Kulfi 1st
2. Isha Sahasrabuddhe Gajar Halwa 2nd
3. Manasa Fruit Pizza 3rd
Photo below: Holi 2014. Photos.
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Inspirational People
Aarnav Chitari, Traut Core Knowledge (2nd Grade) Following are four extraordinary people who fought for their countries freedom and well-being. The first two are from India and the next two are from the United States of America. All of them were strong, brave and had their people’s best interests in mind. Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj: Shivaji is one of India’s greatest kings and helped start the independence movement. Shivaji was born at Shivneri, Maharashtra on February 19, 1630. He was named after the goddess Shivai. Shivaji had captured his first fort when he was just 16. Shivaji was one of the first to build a powerful navy. His navy fought against the British. He also fought the Mughal Empire to set free the Maratha people. Shivaji is well known for his kind attitude towards his people. Shivaji had a much smaller army compared to the big Mughal army. He successfully used hit and run tactics called guerilla warfare, which helped him defeat his enemies. Shivaji died at the age of 52 around 5 April 1680 after falling ill. Mahatma Gandhi: Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi was born on October 2nd, 1869. He was the prominent Indian leader in British ruled India. Gandhiji believed in non-violence and truth in all situations. Gandhiji lived a simple life, made his own clothes on his favorite Charkha and often fasted to protest against the British. Eventually, on August 15th, 1947 India got freedom from the British. Although Gandhiji worked towards being fair to all living things, he could not keep everyone happy. He was assassinated in 1948 by Nathuram Godse. George Washington: George Washington was commander in chief of the continental army during the American revolutionary war. He was the first US president from 1789 to 1797. George Washington was born on February 22, 1732 in the British colony of Virginia. As a teenager George became a
successful surveyor. This helped him earn enough money to buy land of his own. George saw the bad effects of rising taxes applied by the British on American colonies and he decided the colonies should declare independence from England. By 1775 the American Revolution had begun and Washington was named commander in chief of the continental army. With the help of the French the continental army captured the British troops. This ended the revolutionary war and Washington was declared a national hero. He was asked to head the committee writing the new constitution. His great leadership qualified him to become the nation’s first president. The United States was a small nation when he became the president consisting of 11 states. Washington worked hard to set an example of fairness and honesty. He died on December 14, 1799 at the age of 67. Abraham Lincoln: Abraham Lincoln was born on February 12, 1809 in Hardin County Kentucky. While growing up Lincoln had to support his family and could not attend school full time. Soon Lincoln joined a local party called the Whig party. Lincoln was against slavery which were the ideals of Whig party. Lincoln joined the Republican Party who were against the spread of slavery in all the territories. Due to his strong views, Lincoln was chosen as the republican presidential candidate. His anti-slavery views made him disliked in the southern states. By the time he became the 16th president in 1860, seven southern states had decided to separate from the union. This started the civil war. Lincoln wanted to outlaw slavery, but said it was more important to save the union first. The union soon started winning the battles. By the time the union was close to victory, Lincoln gave a speech where he welcomed the southern states back to rebuild the union. Before he could achieve his dream, he was assassinated on April 15th. References: http://en.wikipedia.org http://www.biography.com/
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Jhansi Ki Rani
Isha Sahasrabudhe, 7th Grade, Kinard Middle School
“Meri Jhansi kabhi nahi doongi!!” These
were the priceless words of the dedicated and
determined warrior, known as Rani Lakshmi Bai. In
the captivating city of Varanasi, the home of the
River Ganga, a freedom fighter was born; a legend
further known as Jhansi ki Rani. A committed girl,
who was given the name of Manikarnika, was not a
queen at first. She was in fact a simple girl, born in a
Marathi family. She lived in the time period when
Britishers were attempting to conquer India, or
Bharat, as it was known earlier. The idea of
foreigners trying to capture “her” country was
enraging to her and made her furious. Thus, she was
determined to revolt against them. Her life included
three major events: her childhood, becoming the
queen, and fighting in the war of 1857.
To begin with, Rani Lakshmi Bai was truly
inspired and taught by the excellently trained
warrior, Tatya Tope. From him, she learned sword
fighting, horseback riding, and the use of bows and
arrows. He was the person who had told Manikarnika
that it didn’t matter if she was girl, she could not let
the Britishers capture Mother India, and so, she had
to fight. Back in that time, girls did not get educated,
and weren’t allowed to focus on anything except
family and chores. However, Manikarnika lived in
the palace of Bajirao Peshwa II, with her father. The
Peshwa admired her, and thought of her as his own
daughter. He also wanted her to be well-educated.
Together, Nanasaheb Peshwa, (Bajirao’s son), and
Manikarnika learned various things, and even in
those times, Manikarnika could read and write Hindi,
Marathi, and English! She made use of these skills in
diverse situations, when the British people
mistreated Indians.
Furthermore, the brave and strong-minded
girl was only 14 years old, when an important event
took place in her life. Her marriage was decided with
the King of Jhansi, Gangadhar Rao. He was much
older than her, but her family had already decided the
marriage. Soon after, the king announced that
Manikarnia’s new name would be Rani Lakshmi Bai.
In their palace, she took the help of Tatya Tope and
began teaching the maids how to fight. Not much
later, she had created a whole “army” of her own.
One of her famous ideas against Britishers was a
disguise, known as “Krantiguru.” It is said that she
disguised herself and burned the British Flag that was
waving on one of the buildings of the East India
Company. The people praised Krantiguru, not
knowing that it was Rani Lakshmi Bai. After they
found out, her family was disappointed for a while,
but soon understood her motive behind it. Not long
after that, Rani Lakshmi Bai had won the hearts of
her people, and the king also appreciated it. After
several years since becoming the queen and an adult,
she and the king adopted a son, named Damodar Rao.
With the happiness surrounding her, she had proved
to be a powerful, loyal, and determined
warrior/queen. However, when the King of Jhansi,
Gangadhar Rao, passed away, her true spirit was
taken away for a while. With the encouragement of
Tatya Tope and her family, she regained that
determination to strike the British.
Finally, since the death of the king, and since
Damodar Rao wasn’t their “actual son,” the British
wanted to conquer the throne. They knocked down
walls/homes, and destroyed Jhansi; and it was not
only Jhansi, but it was the whole India. By then, Rani
Lakshmi Bai was furious, and she couldn’t stand the
situation. The year was 1857, when she decided that
no matter what, she would fight against them, with
her army. Jhansi ki Rani, Tatya Tope, Nanasaheb
Peshwa, and their whole army gathered together, and
thus, the war had begun! The fight was tough and
Rani Lakshmi Bai had defeated every Britisher in her
way, except one; Lord Dalhousie. He was the cruel
leader of the Britishers, and since he had a gun, he
pulled it out and shot the queen. Everything was
silent, and no one spoke; Lord Dalhousie had killed
Rani Lakshmi Bai.
In conclusion, that moment in our history, is
still remembered today as being a horrifying and
terrible one. However, the name Rani Lakshmi Bai
still rings in our ears as being one of the greatest,
inspiring, and important leaders in India’s history.
7
Even though we had not won the war, it had
definitely proved India’s bravery. “Vande
Mataram!”
India’s Space Program
Milan Khosla, Preston MS - 7th Grade
Do you know which country holds the world
record for launching the most satellites into outer
space in one launch? You may think the answer is
The United States, or Russia, but if you did, you
would be wrong. India holds the current record, and
it beat Russia by sending ten satellites on a single
rocket into space. This happened on April 28, 2008,
almost six years back. This was an astounding feat.
In fact, India is home to one of the top government
space agencies in the world, ISRO (Indian Space
Research Organization.)
India became a republic on Jan 26, 1950.
Only nineteen years later, ISRO was founded on the
dream of Dr. Vikram Sarabhai, the father of Space
Technology in India. Becoming a republic was a
huge step for India, and in such a short time since
then, it has become a leading country in space
research. Indian Space Research Organization has
been making new discoveries, and doing astonishing
achievements ever since its inception on August 15,
1969. India’s first satellite, Aryabhata, was launched
by the Soviet Union in 1975. In 1980, Rohini became
the first satellite to be placed in orbit by an Indian-
made launch vehicle, SLV-3. The term SLV stands
for Satellite Launch Vehicle. ISRO subsequently
developed two other rockets: the Polar Satellite
Launch Vehicle (PSLV) for launching satellites into
polar orbits and the Geosynchronous Satellite
Launch Vehicle (GSLV) for placing satellites into
geosynchronous orbits. These vehicles have been
launching satellites for many years. Polar orbits go
around the earth revolving longitudinally over the
poles. This way, the satellites can study the entire
globe. Geosynchronous satellites go around the earth
in synchrony to the speed of the earth’s rotation, so
it is always stationed directly above a desired place.
It won’t slow down, because there is no friction or
gravity in space.
India is also improving its navigation
technology through its space program. They have
officially started GAGAN: “GPS Aided Geo
Augmented Navigation” or “GPS And Geo-
Augmented Navigation” systems. GAGAN helps
airplanes to land with much higher vertical accuracy
(within 3 meters) in stormy weather. Technology
used to create GAGAN is also helping India to create
IRNSS: Indian Regional Navigational Satellite
System, India’s own independent navigation system.
This will be equivalent to GPS-WAAS like we have
in the U.S., or the GLONASS in Russia, EGNOS in
Europe, QZSS in Japan, and Beidou in China.
There have been a couple of significant
recent accomplishments in the Indian Space
Research Program. The first recent achievement is
the Mars Mission. India made history, by sending a
Mars rover satellite on November 5, 2013. This is a
huge success, as the rocket continues its journey to
Mars for the next eight months. India is the first and
only country in Asia to send a rocket to Mars.
The next recent feat happened just a few
weeks ago, on Jan. 5, 2014. India launched an orbital
rocket called GSAT-14 using cryogenic fuel that
India itself created! Cryogenic fuel is a complex fuel
that consists of liquid Hydrogen and liquid Oxygen.
This is a technology that only a select few countries
have. This was groundbreaking, because India has
tried to do this twice before. In 2001, India attempted
this, but the Russian rocket engine that they were
using stopped working. When they tried again just
recently, in November of 2012, using cryogenic fuel
from Russia, a last minute check made them abort the
mission because of a fuel leak. Now, using their own
engine, and their own rocket fuel, on Jan. 5, 2014,
they achieved success at last. One of the best things
about India is that they can and have created this
cutting-edge technology at an inexpensive price-tag,
an added advantage in comparison to other countries.
The growth of India’s space program has
been astounding. USA's space program started on
July 29, 1958. Russia’s started around 1956, and both
countries launched rockets in the same year as they
8
founded. Though starting more than a decade later,
India is still one of the leading countries in Space
Technology. I think India’s space program is
incredible, and I am sure you would agree with me
that it would not be surprising if, or rather when,
India surpasses other countries in many innovative
missions in the future.
Diversity in India
Abheet Sathe, Grade 9th CECFC
India is not only an old civilization but also a modern
country. Along with India being the second largest
democracy in the world, it also is one of the most
diverse countries in the world. From the times of the
wise Indian teacher /philosopher Chanakya, to now,
the cultures and traditions have still remained alive.
There are close to 1600 different dialects/languages
in India. There are many religions including
Buddhism, Hinduism, Jainism, Sikhism, Islam,
Christianity and Zoroastrian. All the diversity in
India that has lived on includes food, languages,
religions, clothing and festivals.
Every region in India has different
specialties of food. Let’s begin with North Indian
food. North Indian Food is very rich in dairy products
such as paneer, yogurt, milk and ghee and therefore
trying out the innumerable dishes from North India
will give you the chance to taste these dairy products
in their purest form. The goodness of the various
North Indian sweet dishes, such as, Barfi, Pere,
Laddu, Rabri, koolfi, faluda, gulkand, malai, and
halwa are well known throughout the world.
Now let’s talk about Western Indian food.
Mostly grated coconut, fishes, peanuts, and cashew
nuts happen to be the principal ingredients of
Maharastrian or Marathi food. They even use the
peanut oil as the main base of cooking. The Goan
food has a strong influence of the cooking style of
the Portuguese cuisine, as they had been the
inhabitants of the place for a long time. The Vidarbha
cuisine also forms a favorable part of the Marathi
kitchen and the various West Indian recipes.
South Indian food is diverse in ingredients
and style. The most popular dishes are the Dosas, the
Idlies, Vadas, Upma, Uttapam and several others.
Ground rice happens to be a chief element in most of
this South Indian food. Another unique feature of the
South Indian food is that they are always served with
a special dal called Sambhar, Rasam, a dal made of
tamarind, Pachadi, which happens to be a spiced up
yogurt and various other forms of vegetable curries
bearing an authentic south Indian flavor.
Now for the last region, East Indian food.
The various ingredients of East Indian recipes
include the excellent range of fish dishes from
Bengal, which is most popularly known as ‘macher
jhol’ and are made of a wide range of fishes such as,
rohu, hilsa, magur, topsey, parsey, pabda and several
others. The various forms of pickles and sweets are
also the special varieties of East Indian food that
especially belong to the Bengali cuisine. Rice, dal,
subjis, and fish curries form an essential part of the
different meals in eastern part of India.
There is also a wide diversity of clothing in
India. Based on weather conditions and the type of
job people can wear a variety of things. For example,
men can usually wear dhotis, lungi’s and most
commonly, shirts and trousers. Women tend to wear
a Ghagra Choli, Shalvar Kurta, or a sari. Both men
and woman wear a Churidar or a Pyjama Kurta.
When in festive times the costumes tend to be very
elaborate with the addition of jewelry and intricate
designs.
There is also a wide diversity of festivals in
India. For example, the festival Holi. This is the
festival of colors.Then there is Dusshera. This
festival celebrates the victory of good over evil. The
festival right after Dusshera is Diwali. Diwali is the
festival of lights. Also there is Durga which
celebrates the birth of Durga. Then there is Krishna
JanMashtmi. This is the celebration of Krishna’s
birth. There is Ganesh Chaturthi which is the birth of
Ganesh. Also the festivals of Onam and Pungal are
popular in Southern India. Last but not least there is
Shivratri which is the festival that celebrates the birth
of Shiva.
With all of the diversity you may think that
India cannot stay tide together as one country.
However the idea of a unified India dates back to
2500 years ago when The Great Alexander attacked
India and Chanakya tried to unify various regions of
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India under one flag to fight foreign invasions. In
modern times this same idea of a unified India was
picked up by Indian leaders from all regions of India
who ran a successful and peaceful movement for a
free and unified India. Modern India stands as a
symbol of unity where Chanakya and Gandhi’s
dreams have finally come true!
India and America: A Connection of Values
Pranaya Sathe, 12 Grade Colorado Early Colleges Fort Collins
July 4, 1776 in American history marks the
beginning of a nation which the founding fathers
declared as independent. On this day life, liberty, and
the pursuit of happiness were established as
“unalienable rights” which all citizens were given.
Both India and the US have shared these common
values through history, from freedom fights to
economic establishment. While these values may be
viewed differently in both countries, the foundation
on which they were established shares the common
understanding. From then till now, life, liberty, and
the pursuit of happiness have carried on as the
fundamental values from which both India and US
accredit as the unfaltering building blocks of society.
The value of life is undeniably the most
important to people. It illustrates that people have a
right to live as they choose. In both the US and India,
people have the choice to decide what is best for
them and how to live. Life is doubtlessly a personal
matter, and while some restrictions may be
embedded in both countries as to what is socially
acceptable, living life as an individual cannot be
restrained. While India is a unified country, different
states have their own languages and customs that
become a part of peoples’ ‘life’. In the US, the
diverse ‘melting pot’ of people from different
regions of the world changes how people choose to
live. The value of life depends on the liberty people
have in their country.
Liberty is defined as personal freedom, with
which one has the power to make choices and
influence others while being socially compatible.
Both India and the US have adopted this value as the
main building block required to establish society.
Around the same time the Declaration was signed in
the US, in India the Maratha warrior Shivaji
established ‘Hindvi Swarajya’, or a free state of the
people of Hind – as he called it then. As a value,
liberty means that people have the right to make
decisions for themselves; but it is in their hands to
understand whether these decisions will have a
positive or negative impact on society. Without this
liberty, the value of the pursuit of happiness would
merely become a desired thought.
As individuals in society, people have the
right to judge their own pursuit of happiness. This
defines every person’s right to live for themselves
and work for their own achievement. The only clause
stated however is that this right should not affect
others in a negative manner. In India, this pursuit of
happiness can be seen by how Gandhi chose to live
his life, and inspired people to believe that India can
be independent of British rule, even if people began
to do so by threading their own cotton. In the US, this
can be seen during the Boston Tea Party, where
protestors symbolically refused the empirical rule of
the British Empire and the taxation on tea. The
pursuit of happiness combined with the other two
values have become a strong combination that is used
in the modern world today.
In the modern world, while all three values
have stayed the same within both countries, the US
and India have followed independent yet parallel
paths. The economic establishment of both countries
started out as separate entities, however overtime
have merged to create economic success for both.
The 1947 the launch of the Russian satellite Sputnik
created a sense of patriotism within the US. Eleven
years later the NASA space program was established
within the US and eventually became the leading
space program in the world. Years later, the space
program opened doors to more economic benefit by
fueling the technology boom in the Silicon Valley,
thus generating more employment opportunities and
economic growth. From the 1970s to the 1990s
Indian doctors, scientists, and engineers helped to
boost this growth by coming to the US and
contributing to all the aspects of the American
economy. India has now developed its own
infrastructure to a point where the American
entrepreneurs have developed an interest in being
part of India’s economic growth. Today, both
10
American and Indian companies invest directly in
each other’s industries. Industries such as the
chemical, film, and technology industries are often
invested in by both America and the US. Life, liberty,
and the pursuit of happiness are values that have
continuously been used as the building blocks of the
modern economies. It is because of these values that
both India and the US have become and will continue
to be strong partners for the foreseeable future.
Deepanjali 2013 performers on the stage just prior to the election of 2014 executive committee. November 9th, 2013, Ridgeview Classical Schools, Fort Collins, CO. A total of 286 participated. Phots can be seen here and here. Deepanjali 2014 photos can be seen here and here.
11
Essay Contest Judging Rubric & Scoring Sheet Due Wed 1/29/2014 Please email to [email protected]
Judge: _______Dr. Aparna Gollapudi, Dr. Chris Allen, Dr. Paula Genic_____________________________ Criteria 5 4 3 2 1 Score
Excellent Above average
Average Below average
Poor
Contents of the essay
In-depth understanding: key concepts related to the theme and the topic are identified and fully defined; excellent use of techniques such as comparison and contrast
50 points
Key concepts related to the theme and the topic are adequately identified and defined; average use of techniques to describe viewpoints
40 points
Key concepts are partially identified and defined; statement that viewpoints exist but little use of supporting details
30 points
Some concepts are identified but not defined; lack of reference to any viewpoints
20 points
Complete lack of reference to the these and the topic; irrelevant information; unsupported statements, incomplete details
10 points
(10 to 50)
Originality and interest
Strong. The article is very interesting to read and writing displays originality.
25 points
Very good
20 points Good
15 points Limited
10 points Very little 5 points
(5 to 25)
Writing style/flow
clear and effective, excellent grammar and spelling, article well developed and cohesive
25 points
Partially clear and effective, good grammar & spelling, essay well developed and cohesive
20 points
conveys main ideas but lacking clarity, essay mostly developed
15 points
many errors in grammar and spelling
10points
Main ideas unclear, illegible, grammar and spelling errors consistent throughout essay
5 points
(5 to 25)
Evaluation No Document Name Code Category Contents Originality Writing Overall
Score 1 Diversity in India H1 Jr High 9th
grade
2 Inspirational People R3 Ele 2nd gr 3 Jhansi Ki Rani H4 Jr High 7th
gr
4 Wheel of Unity M5 Ele 2nd gr 5 India and America A2 High 12th gr 6 India’s Space Program L6 Jr High 7th
gr
7 India’s republic day N7 Ele 2nd gr
12
IANC Culinary Contest Judging Sheet: Judge version Rank 5 4 3 2 1
Excellent Above average Average Below average Poor Evaluation
Taste and texture (flavor, taste, texture, balance of ingredients)
Among the very best tasted 40 points
Very good, as cooked by an expert 32 points
Good, as expected in everyday cooking 24 points
Acceptable, will eat to satisfy hunger 16 points
Not very palatable 8 points
(8-to-40)
Presentation (colors, garnishes, layout, container0
Stunning presentation 20 points
Looks very inviting 16 points
Nice looking 12 points
OK 8 points
Not much effort 4 points
(4-to-20)
Quantity More than 12 servings 20 points
About 12 servings 16 points
About 10 servings 12 points
About 8 servings 8 points
Less than 6 servings 4 points
(4-to-20)
Complete recipe Complete ingredients, quantities, steps, with additional helpful things 20 points
Complete ingredients, quantities, and steps. 16 points
Complete ingredients, quantities. 12 points
Note quite complete. 8 points
No recipe. 4 points
(4-to-20)
Judge: Evaluation No Name Code Adult
/kid Main/ Dessert
Taste/ texture 8-to-40
Presentation 4-to-20
Quantity 4-to-20
Recipe 4-to-20
Total 20-to-100
1 Ad1 Adult Dessert
2 Ad2 Adult Dessert
3 Ad3 Adult Dessert
4 AM4 Adult Main course
5 AM5 Adult Main course
6 AM6 Adult Main Course
7 AM7 Adult Main Course
8 AM8 Adult Main Course
9 AM9 Adult Main Course
10 AM10 Adult Main Course
11 AM11 Adult Main Course
12 AM12 Adult Main Course
13 KD13 kid Dessert
14 KD14 kid Dessert
15 KD15 kid Dessert
16 KD16 kid Dessert
17 KD17 kid Desssert
18 KD18 kid Main Course
19 KD19 kid Main Dish
13
Republic Day: Potluck Sign-up sheet
Republic Day Function February 1, 2014
Please fill by Jan 29. Suggested quantity: for 20 or more Add rows as needed
Item you are bringing Name # of adults # of kids (under 6) Total Comment
Subzi (dry) 4 4 Dry Aloo Sabzi
Subzi (dry) 4 0 4 Baked gobhi/aaloo
Subzi (dry) 1 0 1 Gobhi Aaloo
Subzi (dry) 3 3
Pooris IANC 0
Roti/Nan/Parantha (from frozen) 2 2 4 Frozen Roti
Paneer Sabzi IANC
Subzi -with gravy 3 0 3
Subzi -with gravy 2 2 4 Potato gravy Subzi
Subzi -with gravy 4 0 4 Potato gravy Subzi
Subzi - regional style 2 2 4 Avial
Rice/Pulao 3 1 4
Rice/Pulao 2 2 Veg Biryani
Rice/Pulao 2 1 3 Veg Pulao
Rice/Pulao 2 1 3 Veg Pulao
Rice -Pulao 2 2
Rice- regional style 2 2 4 Tamarind/Lemon/Tomato
Rice -regional style 3 0 3
chole 3 3
Chana/Dal 2 2 4 Dal
Chana/Dal 2 2 4 Chana
Kadhi/Raita 2 2 4
Kadhi/Raita 2 1 3 Raita
Kadhi 0
Snack (Dhokla, Pakora etc) 2 1 3 Pakora
Snack (Dhokla, Pakora etc) 2 2 4 Dhokla
Snack (Dhokla, Pakora etc) 3 3
Sweet (sheera/kheer) 3 1 4 Kheer
Sweet- Kheer 3 3
Sweet 2 2 Basundi
Sweet 2 1 3
Chopped salad 2 2 4
Chopped salad 2 2 4
Chopped fruit/grapes 1 1 2 Grapes
Add item 0
Total 32 75 28 103
Families Adults Kids Total About 200 Participated
14
IANC’s original 1998 Constitution
On June 7, 1998 the constitution was ratified by the Board. It was replaced by a vote in the General Body
meeting in 2014 by the new Constitution.
ARTICLE 1: Name
The name of the association shall be India
Association of Northern Colorado (IANC) Inc.
(hereinafter referred to as the "association".)
ARTICLE 2: Office
The office site shall as determined time-to-time by
the Board of Officers.
ARTICLE 3: Purpose
The purpose of the association is to organize
educational, cheritable, religious and literary
activites for promoting awareness of Indian culture
and traditions. The association is organized
exclusively for, and will be operated exclusively for
these purposes, in accordance with the requirements
of § 501(c)(3).
ARTICLE 4: Structure of the Association
The association shall consist of a Board of Officers,
Ordinary Members, Affiliate Members and and may
additionally consist of honorary members. The
Board of Officers (hereinafter referred to as the
"Board") shall consist of at least four individuals
from the ordinary or affiliate Membership and shall
include the President, the Vice President, the
Secretary, the Treasurer, and the Coordinators of the
Committees as may be designated by the Board from
time to time. The President and Secretary offices
may not be held by the same person.
ARTICLE 5: Requirements and Types of
Membership
Ordinary membership is open to those individuals
who support and agree with the goals and objectives
of the Association, and pay the membership dues as
decided by the Board. Dependent members of the
family or household of a Member are affiliate
members if they are younger than 18 years. Members
of the India Student Association at Colorado State
University are granted affiliate membership without
cost.
ARTICLE 6: Meeting of the Members
The General Body meetings open to all members,
shall be scheduled as decided by the Board. There
shall be at least one General meeting in a year. For a
General Body meeting, twenty percent of the voting
membership shall constitute a quorum. The quorum
shall not be insisted upon unless the objectives,
purpose or policy of the Association is involved.
ARTICLE 7: Board of Officers
The Board shall manage and direct the affairs of the
association. The Board may increase or decrease the
number of Oficers from time to time. In no event may
the number of the Board members be decreased to
fewer than 4. The Board shall hold meetings as
needed, not less than once each 4 months. Half of the
Directors on the Board shall constitute a quorum for
the transaction of business at any meeting of the
Board. The quorum shall not be insisted upon unless
the objectives, purpose or policy of the Association
is involved.
ARTICLE 8: Selection and Election of Officers
The President, Vice President, Secretary and the
Treasurer shall be elected by the ordinary members
once a year. Other officers shall be appointed as
decided by the Board. If the vice-president, secretary
or the treasurer are unable to serve due to unforeseen
circumstances, the rest of the board may appoint a
replacement.
ARTICLE 9: Funds
The board shall designate the custodians of money
and property belonging to the Association. The
money may be deposited in a bank for safe keeping.
In the event of an impending dissolution, a General
Body meeting shall be called to decide the
disbursement of assets. The residual assets of the
Association shall be turned over to one or more
organizations that are themselves non-profit for
15
exclusive public purposes and have similar
objectives.
ARTICLE 10: Ratification
A majority of Board Members at a Board Meeting
shall vote to ratify these by-laws.
ARTICLE 11: Amendments to the By-laws
Amendments to the By-laws may be made by a
simple majority of in a General Body meeting.
Notes on major changes to the IANC
Constitution
Mandar Sunthankar
The IANC Constitution committee, in cooperation
with the Executive Committee, has drafted and
already emailed a copy of modified constitution. It
is also available here.
We found it necessary to revise the original 1998
constitution to ensure that stability and continuity of
IANC is assured. At the end of 2011, IANC became
dormant because no volunteers could be found to
form an executive committee while IANC funds sat
idle without an official caretaker. In order to address
this issue and others, following amendments were
incorporated for approval:
1. Structure of the association: We currently only
have Executive Committee. We will add a Board Of
Trustees with at least 3 members from some of the
leaders in the community to serve as advisors and to
oversee the operation in the absence of an Executive
Committee. One of the Trustees will be selected as
the Chief Trustee with access to IANC funds and
assets (along with President and Treasurer). The
Trustees will be elected for a 3 (three) year term, will
have no executive responsibilities to run any IANC
activities, they will serve as senior advisors and vote
on all major decisions along with the Executive
Committee.
2. Administrative Body: The Executive Committee
together with the Board of Trustees will termed as
the Administrative Body.
3. Elections: Considering the digital age we are in,
a provision has been made to conduct elections by
email, if the Administrative Body has the means to
do it. This will simplify calling elections without a
physical General Body meeting.
4. Charitable Expenditures: Guidelines for
Charitable Contributions/Sponsorships have been
outlined. There has been about $10,000 in the IANC
account for the past 3 years. An amendment limits
an Executive Committee from expending more that
5% of the IANC funds for their year of operation for
an external organization. Any charitable
expenditures exceeding 5% need to be approved in
the General Body by a majority.
5. Assets: A list of assets belonging to the IANC
will be made and presented to the General Body once
a year along with Financials for the year.
Final Note: Please read the details in the attached
draft and return your comments and suggestions
on/or before Oct 20. Once finalized, it will be
submitted for voice approval in Deepanjali program
on Nov 8, 2014.
Mandar
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New IANC Constitution
History: On June 7, 1998 the first constitution was
ratified by the Executive Committee, which can be
seen at the IANC website. This revised constitution
was discussed and finalized in 2013, and was
accepted by the membership on Nov 8, 2014.
ARTICLE 1: Name
The name of the association shall be India
Association of Northern Colorado (IANC) Inc.
(hereinafter referred to as the "association".)
ARTICLE 2: Purpose
The purpose of the association is to organize
educational, charitable, religious and literary
activities for promoting awareness of Indian culture
and traditions. The association is organized
exclusively for, and will be operated exclusively for
these purposes, in accordance with the requirements
of § 501(c)(3).
ARTICLE 3: Structure of the Association
The association shall consist of Ordinary Members
and an Administrative Body consisting of an
Executive Committee and a Board of Trustees. In
addition it may have Affiliate Members and
honorary members.
i. The Executive Committee shall include the
President, the Secretary, the Treasurer, and other
committee members as may be designated by the
Administrative Body from time to time. The
President and the Secretary offices may not be held
by the same person. An Executive committee
member must have been a resident of Northern
Colorado for at least three years.
ii. The Board of Trustees (hereinafter referred to as
the "Board") shall consist of a Chief Trustee and at
least two other Trustees. All Trustees shall be
individuals from the ordinary Membership. A
trustee must have honorably served previously as a
President, or must have served IANC honorably for
several years and have been living in Northern
Colorado for at least four years.
ARTICLE 4: Requirements and Types of
Membership
Ordinary membership is open to those individuals
and their spouses who support and agree with the
goals and objectives of the Association, and pay the
membership dues as decided by the Administrative
Body. Dependent members of the family or
household of a Member are affiliate members if they
are younger than 18 years. Members of the India
Student Association at Colorado State University are
granted affiliate membership without cost. The
membership dues may be collected as a part of
admission to specific functions. In special situations
when the membership fees have not been collected
by IANC, the Administrative Body may deem the
current IANC mailing list as Members until the time
when membership fee is collected.
ARTICLE 5: Meeting of the Members
The General Body meeting shall be open to all
members, shall be scheduled as decided by the
Administrative Body. There shall be at least one
General meeting in a year. For a General Body
meeting, twenty percent of the membership shall
constitute a quorum. The quorum shall not be
insisted upon unless the Constitution, objectives,
purpose or policy of the Association is to be altered.
ARTICLE 7: The Administrative Body
The Administrative Body shall direct the affairs of
the association. The Administrative Body may
increase or decrease the number of Executive
Committee members from time to time as seem
necessary. In no event may the number of the
Officers be decreased to fewer than three. The
Administrative Body shall hold meetings as needed,
not less than once each 6 months. Three members of
the Administrative Body shall constitute a quorum
for the transaction of business at any meeting of the
Administrative Body.
The Executive Committee will run the day-to-day
operation of the Association. The Board of Trustees
serve as senior advisors and vote on all major
decisions along with the Executive Committee.
17
ARTICLE 8: Election of Executive Committee
The President, Secretary and the Treasurer shall be
elected by the ordinary members. Other officers shall
be appointed as decided by the Executive Committee
which may include coordinators for specific
subcommittees or activities with input from the
Committee. If the secretary or the treasurer are
unable to serve due to unforeseen circumstances, the
Administrative Body may appoint a replacement.
The election will be conducted by a Nominating
Committee, which will be appointed by the Board of
Trustees and may not include the current Executive
Committee members.
A member of the Executive Committee will serve for
one year, and continue for a second year term if
he/she so chooses.
ARTICLE 8: Election of Trustees
The Trustees will be nominated by a nominating
committee appointed by the Administrative Body
and will be elected by the members in a general
meeting. The Chief Trustee will be elected by the
Board members. A Trustee will serve for term of 3
years. A Trustee may be reappointed. Trustees will
provide guidance to the Executive Committee as
needed.
ARTICLE 9: Funds
The Administrative Body is the custodians of money
and property belonging to the Association. The
money will be deposited in a bank for safe keeping
with access to the Chief Trustee, President and the
Treasurer. The Executive committee or the Board
shall not have the authority to donate funds or assets
to another organizations in access of 5% of the initial
bank-balance in a year, without the approval by the
majority of members in a General meeting, with the
exception of funds collected specifically for
charitable purposes.
In the event of an impending dissolution, a General
Body meeting shall be called to decide the
disbursement of assets. The residual assets of the
Association shall be turned over to one or more
organizations that are themselves non-profit for
exclusive public purposes and have similar
objectives.
ARTICLE 10: Removal of a member of the
Administrative Body
If a member of the Administrative body has not
participated in 3 consecutive meetings (or 3
separate email discussions) he/she may be removed
by the Administrative Body, if the motion for
removal is supported by the two third majority of
the Administrative Body.
ARTICLE 11: Ratification
A majority of Members at a General Meeting shall
vote to ratify these by-laws.
ARTICLE 12: Amendments to the By-laws
Amendments to the By-laws may be made by a
simple majority of in a General Body meeting.
Article 13:IRS requirements:
This amendment was added in 2008 to satisfy the
IRS requirements. It will be retained as Article 13
of the new 2013 constitution.
The India Association of Northern Colorado is
organized exclusively for charitable, religious,
educational, and scientific purposes, including, for
such purposes, the making of distributions to
organizations that qualify as exempt organizations
under section 501 (c) (3) of the Internal Revenue
Code, or corresponding section of any future federal
tax code.
No part of the net earnings of the organization shall
inure to the benefit of, or be distributable to its
members, trustees, officers, or other private persons,
except that the organization shall be authorized and
empowered to pay reasonable compensation for
services rendered and to make payments and
distributions in furtherance of the purpose set forth
in purpose clause hereof.
No substantial part of the activities of the
organization shall be the carrying on of propaganda,
or otherwise attempting to influence legislation, and
the organization shall not participate in, or intervene
in (including the publishing distribution of
statements) any political campaign on behalf of any
candidate for public office. Notwithstanding any
other provision of this document, the organization
shall not carry on any other activities not permitted
to be carried on (a) by an organization exempt from
18
federal income tax under section 501 (c) (3) of the
Internal Revenue Code, or corresponding section of
any future federal tax code, or (b) by an organization,
contributions to which are tax deductible under
section 170 (c) (2) of the Internal Revenue Code, or
corresponding section of any future federal tax code
These Operating Procedures were accepted as a
part of the revised constitution package also on Nov
8, 2014.
Operating Procedures
Operating Procedures: The operating procedures
will serve as a guidance for the Association. They
may be revised time to time by the Administrative
Body as needed.
a. Elections will be conducted by a separate
Nominating Committee (2-3 members),
appointed by the Board. They will solicit the
nominations/volunteers, assist those
nominated to come to a convergence, and
hold the elections. In case of an unresolved
competition for a post, election will be held
for that post. Attempt will be made to ensure
diversity (regional and demographic). The
election and voting may be conducted by
email or other electronic media, provided the
procedure used can be monitored by at least
two responsible individuals from Nominating
Committee or assisting the Nominating
Committee and not members of the
Executive Committee.
b. In the special situation, when no new
candidates for Executive Committee can be
identified, the board of trustees may ask the
existing Executing Committee members to
continue to serve, if they are willing.
However the Trustees will sent an invitation
to membership to nominate and elect new
officers, at least once in 9 months during the
time when the regularly elected Executive
Committee does not exist.
c. The annual membership fee will be
determined by the Administrative Body time
to time. No membership was charged in 2012
and 2013. However those buying the
Deepanjali tickets in 2013 were deemed
members until Deepanjali 2014. Those
buying Deepanjali tickets in 2014 will be
members until the next Deepanjali.
d. For official communications, such as
banking, state regulations and taxes, the
home address of the current president shall
serve as the associations address, unless
determined otherwise by the Board.
e. The IANC bank accounts will have three
names, the President, the Treasurer and the
Chief Trustee on them. IANC web resources
(email, web hosting) will be accessible by the
President and the Secretary.
f. The president can approve expenses of up to
$450 directly. For higher expenses, an
approval by the majority of the
Administrative Body is needed.
g. A portion of the association cash assets may
be preserved for long term projects like
acquiring a association center, and/or may be
deposited in long term certificates of deposit.
The majority of the Administrative Body will
take this decision from time to time as
needed.
h. IANC funds will be used only for IANC's
objectives. There will be no salaries, but
volunteers may be provided reasonable
meeting or event related hospitality (such as
food) at the discretion of the President but not
to exceed $10.00/person each meeting.
i. IANC funding guidelines for approval of
sponsorship of external event: (approved Aug
2, 2014)
- Funding limited to $100 (unless a stronger case is
made)
- Activity should support IANC objectives
- One of the proposers or the supporter of a proposal
should be active current or past IANC volunteer for
the proposal to be considered.
- Award made on the basis of i. strength of proposal
ii. credentials of proposer iii. availability of IANC
funds, as evaluated by IANC board.
19
- Judgement of IANC board is final, and no
justification to the proposer needs to be provided.
- IANC will be appropriately acknowledged
- A brief report will be submitted which will include
the number of attended.
j. A list of all assets will be created, maintained
and revised once a year by the Administrative
Body and presented to the general body to
ensure its integrity. Any durable movable
Association assets, will be saved by one or
more members of the Administrative Body
for future use.
k. The Executive committee will present
financial status of the association to the
General Body at the end of its term
l. For issues that have not been formally
specified in the By-Laws and the Operating
Procedures, documents from well-
established India Associations in USA may
be consulted for guidance.
For example: http://www.iagb.org/wp-
content/uploads/2009/12/IAGB-Bylaws.pdf
The Constitution: India Association of
Greater Boston Inc, 23 September 2001
Prior revision drafts: 3/9/2013, 5/15/13, 10/11/
2013, 11/5/13 12/18/13, 12/28/2013, 9/23/14,
10/3/14, 10/10/2014.
History of IANC and its Diwali Function
Decision to organize IANC was taken at the Ganapati
function at Sunthankar’s residence in 1998.
The first Diwali function was held in 1998. An email
dated 21 Sep 1999 refers to the fact that in 1998, we
had 160 adults and 35 children (6-12). Below, you
can see the poster for 1999.
Diwali function had about 400 participants in 2008
and 2009. There was no elected IANC executive
committee in the early 2012, however in Sept 2012,
we initiated efforts to reorganize IANC.
With the help of Suresh Bhamidi and Sangeeta Rao,
we were able to reclaim IANC’s bank, email and web
hosting accounts and successfully organized the
Diwali function at the Ridgeview Classical Schools.
Because of the space limitations, we were only able
to accommodate about 285 persons during 20113 and
2014.
Before the founding of IANC, the Fort Collins
community actively participated in CSU’s India
Association (ISA). IANC has continued to
collaborate with CSU students who are deemed
associate members of IANC.
20
IANC Election Report & Introductions of 2014
Officers
Mitranath Jha
IANC Volunteer for Executive Committee Election
The following persons were elected for IANC
Executive Committee for the 2014 term in the
election conducted by Dr. Mitranath Jha on Nov 9,
2013 at the Deepanjali Function. The call for
nominations was sent on Nov 7, and these
nominations were unanimously approved by IANC
community.
President: Dr. Neelam Sharma
Vice President: Mandar Sunthankar
Secretary: Dr. Yashwant Malaiya
Treasurer: Beena Bawa
Cultural Secretary: Surbhi Kapoor
Other IANC volunteers including the Youth
coordinators will be nominated by the Executive
Committee.
The IANC Executive Committee will assume their
duties and will start working from January 1, 2014
for one year period as stated in IANC constitution.
It was also unanimously approved by IANC
community to amend the IANC constitution as
needed for smooth functioning of the committee in
long run. The following persons were approved by
IANC community to work on the constitution
amendment.
Dr. Yashwant Malaiya- Coordinator
Mandar Sunthankar
Dr. Krishna Murthy
Dr. Mitra N. Jha
Other volunteers from the community are invited for
their valuable input on the changes of IANC
constitution.
IANC invites and would appreciate other volunteers
from the community to actively participate in
different events and functions organized by the
committee. We look forward for a very success and
prosperity of IANC in 2014 and beyond.
Introduction of IANC 2014 Executive Committee:
Neelam is a research scientist at Department of
Biochemistry and Molecular Biology in CSU. She
and her husband Dr. Ajay Jha have lived in Fort
Collins since 2001 and have two children. She served
as IANC Cultural Secretary in 2007.
Mandar is an engineer, entrepreneur and a
consultant. He and his wife Dr. Lena Sunthankar
have lived in Fort Collins since 1981. They have two
children. He served as IANC Vice President during
1998-2000.
Yashwant is a professor of Computer Science in
CSU. He and his wife Anjali have lived in Fort
Collins since 1982 and have two children. He served
as IANC President during 1998-2000, 2012-2013.
Beena is a cultural activist. She and her husband Dr.
Rajan Bawa, have lived in Fort Collins since 1993.
They have one son. Their late daughter who died of
cancer had founded the organization "Peace is the
Cure". She served as an IANC Coordinator during
1998-99.
Surbhi and her husband Devesh have lived in Fort
Collins since 2002 and have 2 children. She served
as the Cultural Secretary in 2013.
Youth Coordinators: Ananya Shah, Anushkarakarn
K Jha, Asmita Jha, Ayushi Kaul, Bhaavika S
Gaddam, Pratik Patel, Yashvi Naik
21
2014 Nomination Committee Report
Here is the official announcement of Election of
IANC Executive Committee and Board of Trustees.
Dear IANC members:
We appreciate your participation and votes for the
election of IANC Board of Trustees and Executive
Committee. We are pleased to announce that
following decisions were taken place by IANC
members present at Deepanjalee function on
Saturday, November 8, 2014.
1. IANC Constitution Amendment: IANC
members with majority votes passed the amendment
of IANC constitution to run the IANC smoothly.
Major changes include the induction of Board of
Trustees and smooth functioning of Executive
Committee. The IANC Board of Trustee will have at
least three member and will take responsibility of
smooth running of IANC. They will provide the
vision and mission of the IANC and in extreme
circumstances they will take care that IANC runs
properly. Audiences thanked Dr. Yashwant Malaiya,
Mandar Sunthankar, and other members who
provided their thoughts and comments for amending
the constitution.
2. Election of Board of Trustees: IANC members
present on Deepanjalee Function elected the
following person for IANC Board of Trustees with
majority votes.
·Dr. Neelam Sharma- Nominated by Dr. Yashwant
Malaiya- for the duration of Three years
·Mr. Ravi Narayanan- Nominated himself- for the
duration of Two years
·Mr. Dipen Patel- Nominated himself and by Dr.
Yashwant Malaiya- for the duration of One year
It was also decided that every year one member of
the Board of Trustee will retire and and a new
member will be elected by IANC for a 3 year term.
3. Election of Executive Committee: IANC
members present on Deepanjalee function elected
the following persons for Executive Committee with
majority votes,
·President- Roop Kumar Anikapati - nominated by
Kaushik Ramasubramaniam
·Vice President- Ashutosh Upadhyay - - Nominated
by Dr. Ajay Jha
·Secretary - Venkat Sundaram (Venkateswaran)-
Nominated by Dr. Ajay Jha
· Cultural Secretary- Madhu Kumar - nominated by
Kaushik Ramasubramaniam
· Youth Coordinator- Nela Mohan, Karthik Palusa,
Jayram Mandavilli
Youth coordinator is not an elected position and thus
they are nominated by the EC.
Treasurer position is still open could be decided later
on.
As per IANC constitution the Executive Committee
will assume their duties and responsibility on
January 1, 2015 for one year. However, they are
encouraged to participate and work with present
committee for planning of the coming events.
IANC members thanked the present Executive
Committee members including Dr. Neelam Sharma,
Mandar Sunthankar, Beena Bawa, and Surbhi
Kapoor, and several volunteers including Kaushik
Ramasubramaniam for their hard work and all efforts
organizing different events throughout the year
including Deepanjali function.
It was also decided that in future, to avoid any
confusion, IANC should have some rules for on-the-
spot elections to avoid confusion.
These can be part of the Operating Procedure and can
be decided by the Board of Trustees and Executive
Committee.
If there are any questions please contact Mitra N. Jha
at [email protected] and Preeti Sathe
Mitra N. Jha and Preeti Sathe
IANC Election Committee
22
Introducing the 2015 Team
Executive Committee
President: Roop Anikapati is an IT Project
Manager at the US Department of Agriculture
(USDA), moved to Ft Collins from Dallas-Fort
Worth in 2010, lives in Timnath with his wife
Sengamalam (Kamla) and two children Shravya (10)
& Shrihan (7) who attend the Traut Core Knowledge
School. Originally from Tirupati, Andhra Pradesh
where most of his extended family is and where he
finished his Bachelors in Engineering, he's
associated to Chennai, Tamil Nadu as well where he
completed his Masters at the Indian Institute of
Technology (IIT) and where his wife's family is. He
is also closely tied to Dallas, Texas where he
completed his MBA from the University of Dallas
and worked for Verizon as a Technical Manager for
many years before started working for USDA. He's
keenly interested in the Indian culture & music and
likes to partake in community activities that promote
passing down the rich Indian tradition & heritage to
the younger generation.
Vice President: Ashutosh Upadhyay is working as
a postdoc researcher in Dept of Microbiology,
Immunology and Pathology, CSU. I am originally
from Gorakhpur (UP), but got the Masters from
Shimla and PhD from University of Delhi. Before
coming to Fort Collins,I worked in National Institute
of Immunology, New Delhi for a few months. We (I
and my wife, also a post doc) moved to Fort Collins
in 2010 and have a ~4years old daughter. We live in
Aggie Village university apartments.
Hobbies: Music and writing. I have worked in All
Radio as a part timer while doing my bachelor
studies and have performed in cultural programs on
stage.
Secretary: Venkat Sundaram hails from Madurai,
Tamil Nadu. He is married to Shilpa and have two
kids, Anusha(10) and Abhijeet(5). He works with
Hewlett Packard for the past 17+ years and lives in
Fort Collins, CO since 2007. Photography is his
hobby/passion.
Cultural Secretary: Madhu Kumar comes from
Pune, Maharashtra and is married to Sunil Kumar.
She moved to Fort Collins about ten years ago but
she definitely misses living in India. Madhu and
Sunil have two kids Ayush (8) and Anika (4) who
23
unfortunately love mac and cheese more than rice
and dal. Madhu loves Indian music, dance and
theatre, which have been an integral part of her
upbringing. Madhu is a public health professional
and is very passionate about health and wellness. She
also enjoys volunteering with different non-profits in
town.
Youth Coordinators: Nela Mohan, Karthik Palusa,
Jayram Mandavilli, Roshini Narayanan,
Suhaas Narayanan, Yash Kothamdi
Trustees
3Y: Dr. Neelam Sharma: Neelam and Ajay Jha
lived in Fort Collins for 14 year. They moved from
India, New Delhi to Fort Collins, Colorado. Works
at CSU as a Scientist in Department of
Environmental and Radiological Health Sciences.
She served IANC as a cultural Secretary in 2007 and
as a President in 2014. Her kids Anushkaran K. Jha
served as a youth coordinator in IANC 2014
committee and daughter Asmita Jha in 2011 and
2014. Her husband Dr. Ajay K. Jha served as a IANC
President in the year 2003 & 2004.
2Y: Ravi Narayanan, his wife, Sugandha daughter,
Roshini and son, Suhaas Narayanan are long term
residents of Fort Collins. Ravi Narayanan moved
from Chennai to the United States to pursue his
higher studies and after brief stints in Michigan and
the Carolina’s moved to Fort Collins to work for then
Teledyne Waterpik. He currently manages the
medical components and device product lines of
Nordson Medical.
Ravi has cherished his experiences working with the
Northern Colorado community and its leaders and
has served under multiple roles in India Association
of Northern Colorado including President. He also
serves as the US Expert for ISO TC210/JWG 4 an
international joint working group striving towards
decreasing medical tubing misconnections in the
hospitals and contributes to patient safety. Ravi
enjoys outdoors and is an ardent fan of Starbucks
filter coffee.
1Y: Dipen Patel: I am from Vadodara, Gujarat, My
wife Amita and I moved to Fort Collins in 1999, I
have two kids Pratik (13) and Isha (9). I am working
as IT manager at CSU foundation since 2007. I have
been in IANC committee before as treasurer in 2005
and Vice president in 2008.
Street Cleaning: Adapt-a-street
IANC: Compassion in Fort Collins
IANC does more than organize functions. One of its
missions is to organize charitable activities. Here are
two cases.
Case 1. Kiran, a student, injured in a tragic
accident:
After a fund raising to help him with surgery, a
fellow student posted on the IANC list:
From: Nischal M P
To: Indian Association of Northern Colorado
CC: Sudipto Ghosh <[email protected]>
Subject: Thank you - Fund raising for Kiran.
Dear Dr. Ghosh,
Could you please forward this email to all the
members of IANC.
Thank you,
Nischal P.
Dear IANC members,
Firstly, I would like to thank the Indian Community
of Northern Colorado or the response with respect to
the fund raising for Kiran's transfer from Pueblo to
Fort Collins. Personally, the response was beyond
imagination for me! Today, I feel more at
24
home..."secure and safe".. in Fort Collins in my six-
year stay. ! ;Not because of the monetary
reasons but the care and concern that the students
and community has expressed for others. Kiran's
mother said that we have left home to stay far away
in a "forest!" But when I conveyed the concern she
was really surprised!
We have collected $4721 in approximately 72 hours.
This is much more than what we expected. At this
point, we would like to end the "donation
initiative." Thanks to the following donors and also
those anonymous donors: (Sorry for any misspelled
names:( )
Abhijit
Aby P
A long list of names...
Vinod
Yogesh
Once again, thank you one and all!
Warm regards,
Nischal P.
Research Assistant Computer Networking Research
Laboratory (CNRL)
Case 2. Tragedies faced by Ketan and Supriya D.
Swati A. posted on the IANC list:
A couple from Fort Collins, CO, Ketan and Supriya
D., are in dire need of help. They had their first baby,
Ayushi, on the 27th of September. Born at 5.2 lbs
Ayushi was a very healthy baby who nursed well and
in a mo! nth, not only gained 3 lbs but also grew from
18" to 21". Obvious ly she was doing very well. But
suddenly around the 2nd week of November the
parents discovered a tiny white spot on her eye and
took her to the pediatrician who, to the complete
surprise of Ketan and Supriya, diagnosed cataract in
both of Ayushi's eyes.
Ayushi underwent one eye surgery for cataract.
Unfortunately, for reasons not known even now, she
contracted a viral infection. What is more disturbing
is that the doctors and specialists who have dealt
with her case (in Poudre Valley Hospital as well as
the Children's Hospital in Denver) have no clue to
what is afflicting Ayushi. They have done a string of
tests (including west Nile virus etc.) but they have all
returned negative results. However the one
conclusion they have all come to is that she will not
survive it because her brain tissues as well as her
spinal fluid have been affected by the infection. It has
been very hard for the parents to cope with what is
happening to their seemingly perfect little angel.
The volunteer organizations (Hospice) have been
very helpful in counseling them as well as in the more
painful matters of arranging funeral home in the
event anything untoward. And while the family was
still trying to grasp with this, Ketan's father passed
away on the 4th of December in Bombay of a massive
heart attack. This was more than the family could
handle. He took a flight home with his shocked mom
(who was here for Ayushi's birth) on the 5th of
December leaving Supriya and her mom with the
ailing baby.
It is obvious that no one can imagine or comprehend
this string of bad luck and the pace at which it has
struck them. The Fort Collins Indian community has
however stood by them very steadfastly for which
Supriya and Ketan are immensely thankful as she
will tell anyone repeatedly who calls or visits her.
Everyone who has heard about them and Ayushi have
wanted to do whatever possible and the only thing
that could come close to making any difference,
apart from visiting them and giving company and
praying, to their lot is contributing some money.
Needless to say their financial worries have been
immense. Ketan's Insurance is an 80-20% policy and
Ayushi's tests, endless doctor visits, surgeries,
hospital stays have already mounted to an
astronomical sum. Also when he left for India, Ketan
bought tickets at $3000 a-piece. We are now trying
to collect money for them to help them survive in this
hour of need. Also we are trying to spend time with
them so that they are not lonely. Any help would be
appreciated.
If you wish to donate money please put in your
contribution into the donation box placed in India's
Rice and Spice, the Indian Grocery in Fort Collins
or contact Swati A. (970-) or Sagarika S. at (970-).
In case anyone would like to pay by check, please
make them payable to "Ketan D.". Your help is
greatly appreciated. Please pray for them.
A note of thanks from Surpriya & Ketan D. Thu
Jan 22 10:22 am
25
We would like to thank you for supporting us through
this very difficult time. We are very grateful for your
prayers and your kind generosity. We would like to
thank each one of you, members and non- members
who have reached out to us with a helping hand and
eased our pain. Because of you this place has become
home away from home for us. Thank you for being
there for us.
Best Regards,
Ketan & Supriya
Challenges in photography of performances
Amol Pandit
Here is my perspective about challenges of taking
photographs and videos during such occasions.
Kids grow too fast, before even we realize, they are
no longer in a cocoon and have morphed into a
beautiful butterfly and ready to fly away. It is very
important for us, the parents, to capture the growing
up memories. Whether it is Photographs or Videos,
they become a life time memories for us to enjoy for
years together. Therefore it is important to get quality
memories.
The first and major challenge faced to capture during
these performances is the amount of light.
Photographs or Videos are just like our eyes. The
more light we have the better we can see. It is
imperative to have the stage flooded with lights. The
more light we can get on stage, the better the photos
and videos will be. If there isn't enough light, photos
are going to shake and they will be very grainy or
noisy. When we rehearse on the stage and adjust the
light settings, I would recommend always put as
much light as possible on the stage.
Background plays a very important role in capturing
these memories as well. The more contrast we have,
the better it will be captured. Having a black
background behind the stage is the best. The
decorations on the wall provide high contrast against
a black background. The costumes and faces of the
performers also provide a high contrast against a
black background. The photos and videos in such a
setup will stand out very clear and crisp. It seems to
me that Ridgeview is very commonly chosen for
IANC performances. I would highly recommend
IANC to invest in a black background that can be put
on the Ridgeview stage. All we would need is large
pieces of black cloth that can be attached to the back
walls and the decorations can be put on top of it.
It is difficult for photographers or videographers to
go all the way to front and capture. They may be
blocking someone’s view by doing so and they
cannot get the entire stage in the frame if they are too
far ahead. At the same time audience is not always
sitting down still, they move and get up and it makes
it difficult to capture. Ideally an elevated platform at
the back of the auditorium is best for taking
photographs and videos. Ridgeview currently does
not have anything like this. It would be helpful to be
able to put up a small elevated platform if possible in
the very back for the auditorium.
Photographers or videographers cannot really enjoy
the performances, they are focused on trying to get
the best they can and in the process of doing so, they
cannot look at the performance. Often only a video
or a photo later on can give them some idea on how
the performance was.
Different people take photos differently. I take my
photos in “Raw” mode and therefore when I am done
taking photos, I don’t have a JPEG image readily
available to share. I need to edit each and every photo
(like dark room in the film camera days) and create a
JPEG that can be shared. Editing each photo takes
me about 5 to 8 minutes which I have to do in my
spare time outside of work and daily routines. This
takes significant time and patience is required but the
results speak for themselves. I also tend to take
hundreds of photos of each performance instead of
taking just a few. For instance, I took over 1800
photos of the recent Diwali performance.
I guess this is probably too long of a write up but I
wanted to give you my perspective. If there are
questions, I will be happy to answer them to the best
of my ability and knowledge.
26
IANC Boards since its inception
Year President Vice President General Secretary Treasurer Cultural Secretary
2013 Yashwant K Malaiya Usha Pandit Ravi Narayanan
Kaushik
Ramasubramaniam Surbhi Kapoor
2012 Yashwant Malaiya Usha Pandit Suresh Bhamidi Kaushik Ramasubramaniam Grace Harish, Chakrapani Gollamudi
2011 Raj Gaddam Saiprasad Palusa Achyuth Panduranga Suresh Bhamidi Sonal Deshpande
2010
Saseendran S.
Anapalli
Vishnu
Rajasekharan Raju Malla Maya Jairam, Rajan Bawa Ajay Malhotra
2009 Sanjay Agarwal Sangeeta Rao Sadhana Achyuth Ranjit Menon Anshika Gupta
2008 Preety Sathe Dipen Patel Mangesh Sahasrabudhe Hardik Shah Alpana Malvankar
2007 Lena Sunthankar Sanjay Agarwal Abhijit Bare Nathalal Vadher Neelam Sharma
2006 Mohan Devarajulu Amol Sonune Ajay Deshpande - Neera Singh
2004
Ravi Narayanan Amol Amin Sandeep Kohli Dipen Patel
Sapna Kohli;
- Leena Sunthankar;
2005
2003 -
Ajay Jha Abhay Sathe Sanjay Ramchander Amita Patel Seema Shah 2004**
2002 -
Rahul Deshpande Sudipto Ghosh Rajiv Khosla Sudha Shah Toral Thaker 2003*
2001 -
Sudhakar Kale Ravi Narayanan A. Manohar, Jaideep Magdum, Juhi Chawla
Rani Vedanthan, Preety Sathe Manju Arora 2002*
2000 -
2001* Usha Chandra-mouli U. M. Babu Jaideep Magdum Ravi Narayanan Prakash Easwaran
1999 -
2000* Yashwant Malaiya Mandar Sunthankar Kaushik Ramasubrama -nium, Bharat Kanagal Ravi Narayanan Sudhir Patel
1998 -
Yashwant Malaiya Mandar Sunthankar
Rama Rao, Preety
Sathe Nilesh Gheewala Lena Sunthankar 1999*
Photo credits: Venkat Sumdaram and Amol Pandit