Newsletter

October Issue

A Group from TAFE NSW at GATE

With a clear objective to introduce professionalism and vocationalism in their natural sense in Nepal, GATE forged link with TAFE New South Wales in March 2010. TAFE NSW is internationally renowned for the vocational courses that it offers. It runs a wide range of vocational courses which are designed to enable a seamless progression into modern apprenticeships. Such courses provide a framework to enhance the professionalism of the workforce. GATE is particularly interested to incorporate vocational courses of TAFE within its [GATE] hospitality course. By doing so it hopes to bring all the benefits of professionalism within the demanding corporate hospitality industry. GATE also firmly believes that professionalism is the key to the improvement of the economy of a country and the world at large. Khem R. Lakai, the CEO of GATE, went to TAFE NSW in 2010. Two years later, that is to say 2 October 2012, Geoff Baldry, the director of TAFE NSW, paid visit to GATE. This exchange of visits has not only made the symbiotic relationship between GATE and TAFE NSW stronger, but also built up absolute trust between them. 4 October 2012 saw a group of twelve members - Violet McDonald, Athol Compton, Denise Prosser, Sandy Chalk, Brenda Davison, Mirra-Winni Gaze, Gina Crane, Angela Collyer, Gilbert Laurie, Maree Boyland Andrew Walker (Tour Leader), Allyson Taylor (Faculty Member) from TAFE NSW at GATE. Leaving Andrew Walker and Allyson Taylor, the remaining 10 are Australian aborigine students at TAFE. They were given warm, cultural reception by the staff and students of GATE. In a due manner, everyone in the group reciprocated the reception with radiant smiles and greetings. The group was duly ushered into La Luna (Restaurant) for the presentation to be made, which was attended by the students in the first semester and staff members. Khem R. Lakai, the CEO of GATE, made a short speech in which he formally extended great welcome and spoke, in brief, on GATE - its visions and achievements. Thereafter, one by one in the group made oral presentation. As the tour was for culture exchange, the aborigine students shared

their history and culture occasionally displaying their paintings and weapons (boomerangs) and playing their traditional musical instruments during the presentation. At GATE's invitation, Dr. Poorna Kanta Adhikari and Prof. Dr. Ramesh Raj Kunwar were at GATE on the same day. The former made the presentation to the group on social, political and economic condition of Nepali aborigines while the latter on Nepalese aboriginal culture and community during the second session of presentation in the afternoon. Again on 10 October, the group was at GATE. Like before, there was another presentation on this day too. The Kantipur Television Units were also present to video the presentation. The Australian group made a presentation for more than three hours, which was interspersed with a

moving documentary film on Devi Rupa, a lonely, blind, female septuagenarian, made by Pradeep Bashyal and Ankit Adhikari. Each one of them in the group shared their personal experience of their visit to Nepal. While making presentation, one of the speakers expressed, "I am taking all these wonderful memories of Nepal and lovely people here to my grave when I die". They also gifted yadaki, yapayapa, barragaden and paintings as mementoes to GATE. Poonam R. L. Rana, Phd. research scholar, another invited guest speaker continued the second session of the presentation. She made powerpoint presentation on brief history of Nepal and origin and development of Nepali Art and Nepali Architecture. Her presentation provided useful information and fascinating insight into Nepali history and culture.

GATE - Newsletter THE BEACON

October Issue - Page 2

ECO Club Continues Street Cleaning

GATE has always shown deep interest in exploring various areas of activity to involve the students in, basically for their overall development. GATE, in many ways, is a hive of activity. All through the year, various activities are carried out by different clubs. The ECO Club is one example. It undertakes several activities and the role it has been performing is highly commendable. Its street cleaning has proven extremely effective. The ECO Club involves students in street cleaning which is done every week. This activity is undertaken to raise environmental awareness amongst the students as well as the communities in the immediate vicinity of the college. The students in the first semester took up street cleaning as soon as they joined GATE and have been rendering great service ever since then. Everyone enormously enjoys it.

THE BEACON is a weekly wall journal, which is especially for the students at GATE. It is a perfect blend of learning, information and inspiration. There are four sections: Editorial, Inspiration, Expression and Learning English. Of these sections, Expression provides a forum for students' writing. The first issue of THE BEACON has been published, and its publication has added a new dimension to GATE's activity.

Gate Students Volunteer To Organize Club Himalaya Changa Chait 2069

What sets GATE apart from other colleges is its broadly-based curriculum for effective learning. One of the possibilities of effective learning is project-based learning of which GATE is acutely aware. This is why, the students here are given and do projects every semester. The project-based learning includes teamwork, research gathering, information synthesizing, time management, personal and social responsibility, planning, critical thinking, r e a s o n i n g , c r e a t i v i t y, s t r o n g communication skills, and decision making which sufficiently prepare students. To uphold age-old kite flying tradition, the Club Himalaya successfully organized Himalaya Changa Chait 2069, annual kite flying festival, on the premises of Club Himalaya, Nagarkot, on October 6 and 13 this year. As project work on sales and marketing, three students Bhawani Soti Thapa, Chhaya Gurung, and Gita Thapa in the fourth semester volunteered to organize the event. They were mainly responsible for the registration of the participants and welcoming and escorting guests to the venue. The duty they discharged was perfectly satisfactory.

The preliminary round took place on October 6 in which two participants each from 32 companies and organizations had their participation. Representing GATE, Ashish Maharjan and Udav Thapa took part in the event, but they had to satisfy with their participation in the preliminary round. As per schedule, the final round was held on October 13. The 8 winning teams that got through the preliminary competed in the final round. Sushil Gupta and Nitin Goel from Lucknow Group were able to win the first prize.

GATE - Newsletter

October Issue - Page 3

Alish Bista's Photograph on The Ultimate Photo Exhibition III

Big Brother Big Sister

On 9 October, the project Big Brother, Big Sister was launched under the expert guidance of Zhang Ying, Chinese Teacher. It is one of the projects led by current fourth semester students. The chief objective of this project is to create community at GATE College to pass on the values and beliefs of GATE to the next generation. This project also helps to prepare junior students for upcoming internships. The preparation is done by sharing valuable lessons and experiences gained by senior students while doing internships overseas with juniors. It also aims to raise their cultural awareness, helping them with a smooth transition during this critical life changing moment. The project also tries to forge strong bond between seniors and juniors through mutual care and cooperation. Training students in leadership skills by leading and organizing various activities, and managing the buddies is also one of the objectives of Big Brother, Big Sister At the moment, the project is paying much attention to personal grooming. Every day seniors are found teaching juniors how to keep their clothes and hair neat and clean. Because of this, there has been distinct improvement in personal grooming at GATE.

Photographer: Alish Bista. Location: Basantpur, Kathmandu

The Image Park is a photography promoting platform. It aims to promote photography in Nepal by encouraging photographers and by showcasing their photographic talents. It has been able organize several photography competitions and exhibitions. Recently, the Image Park organized ABSTRACT PHOTOGRAPHY The Ultimate Photo Exhibition III from October 15 to October 29 2012. GALLARIA CUC (MOMOMAGIC) provided the venue for the exhibition. Abstract Photographs by thirteen photographers were exhibited. And one of these photographers is Alish Bishta, a student in the first semester, at GATE.

13th Frequency Rock at Rocktober "Basantapur Street Festival" 2012

Fourth semester student at GATE, Sagar Pandey is a guitarist of a band named 13th Frequency. While as a boy of grade six, he took up guitar and embarked on his journey to the realm of music. His allconsuming passion for mastering guitar, in time, turned him out as a guitarist. As a guitarist, he played guitar in a few bands until he eventually formed 13th Frequency, progressive rock band, in August 2012. Positive Vibes organized Basantapur Street Festival on the 12th and 13th of October within Basantapur, Dabeli after 9 years since the last Basantapur Street Festival. The event is entitled Rocktober Basantapur Street Festival 2012 which was the presentation of Nepal Samacharpatra (Nepali National Daily). The Basantapur Street Festival included several events such as live music performance by famous Nepali artists and bands, music competition, food festival, games, face painting and tattoo art. The music competition remained the main feature of the festival, which was for the purpose of providing opportunity to and showcasing talents of bands in obscurity trying to rise in prominence. There were exciting prizes and gift hampers for the top three bands. 13th Frequency performed Chasing the sun by Mother Jane and their own song titled Samalingi which is about homosexuality. Sagar Pandey was on the left guitar along with the rest of his band members during the performance.

Advisor: Khem Raj Lakai, Editor: Bhaskar Subba, Page Layout Designer: Nabin Maharjan, Photographer: Alish Bishta,