Westford students have once again showcased their exceptional talent and emerged victorious at MAHE Carnival ’24. Known for their active participation in intercollege events, WUC students made a remarkable impression across multiple categories, including Dance, Music, Reels, Poetry, and Quiz.
In the Eastern Dance category, the WUC dance club performed a mesmerizing classical Bhangra routine with a touch of Bollywood. The dancers’ energy was spectacular throughout the performance and they maintained radiant smiles until the end. The dancers enjoyed every moment and their enthusiasm was fuelled by the constant applause from the audience. Competing with four other colleges, who all delivered impressive performances, WUC stood out with its unique blend of traditional and modern dance elements.
When it was time to announce the winners, the excitement was at its peak. One of the judges demonstrated a dance step, making it clear that the WUC dance club students were the clear winners. The judges also took a moment to praise Sargun, a BSc Business student, and Hitesh, a Level 3 Foundation student, for their outstanding performances. The event not only emphasised the talent and dedication of WUC students, but also celebrated the vibrant cultural diversity within the student community.
From the moment I decided to participate in the MAHE Reels Competition, my primary goal was to create something truly unique and innovative. Collaborating with a group of talented individuals from various universities, all striving for the same goal, was an exhilarating challenge. Working together as a team, we brought diverse creative perspectives to the table and successfully finalized our concept for the reel competition.
I adhered to the simple yet powerful idea of faith, transforming it into a creative reel designed to surprise the audience. Taking charge of a nearly abandoned project required immense hard work and effort. Despite the simplicity of the idea, scripting was challenging, but not as challenging as the shooting process.
First, we jotted down the shot list and proceeded accordingly. During the shoot, we conversed with strangers, describing scenes of a college student's daily struggles to get to class. The editing process turned into an all-nighter. The next morning, amidst the chaos and inquiries from team members about the edit, I vividly remember submitting it just 20 minutes before the 12 PM deadline.
After the submission, I felt that perhaps the reel could have been improved. However, the moment of truth finally arrived. The winners of the Reel Making Competition were declared—Westford University College! It was an unbelievable moment for me, hearing our name called on stage. The immense rush of joy, determination, and resilience, and seeing all our hard work finally pay off, will remain a memory I will cherish forever as I received the medal.
Shreenivasan Parthasarathy
BSc (Hons) Business with Finance – LJMU, UK
The Journey of Westford Music Band has been nothing short of extraordinary. Wattfest, JASHN, MAHE, CityWalk – these events held so many memories to everyone. They spent countless hours practicing for every single one of those events, and it all turned to be the highlight of each members’ lives. Random jam sessions, song selections, and executing it in the end was how they knew that they have a stronger chemistry than a regular university band.
With Nathan and Abigail on vocals, Shawn on drums, Ali on guitar and Tanveer on bass they named their Band, SANTA. Winning the People’s Choice Award at Wattfest was a surreal moment, reaffirming the connection they had built with their fans. Nathan’s Best Performer recognition was a testament to his exceptional talent and dedication, driving SANTA forward with his energy on stage.
Performing at JASHN was an electrifying experience, where they had the privilege to captivate a diverse audience with their brand of music. And the runner-up win at Manipal Fest added to their pride, representing Westford University College on a prestigious platform.
The Music Club members have been a constant support throughout this journey, providing each other with the platform and guidance to chase their musical dreams. Their unwavering belief in has fueled our passion and creativity.
This is SANTA, signing off.
Being part of a dance club was one of my favourite experiences and moments in the 3 years I spent at this university. We have participated in every competition, spent days and nights together to do our best as a group. There were also difficult moments, but we overcame them all. Mahe’24 was my last competition as I’m graduating soon. It was by far the best and nothing can beat what we achieved this time, our energy, coordination, determination and passion brought it all to life. I am proud of all of us for giving it our best. After all the effort and dedication, we finally brought home gold, one of our most spectacular and special performances, and we won first place. It was all thanks to our amazing choreographer, Naveen Singh. It wasn’t easy for us as we have never danced Bhangra professionally before and there were many difficulties and times when we did not believe in ourselves, but at the end of the day we won everyone’s hearts and that is all that matters.
Maria Khan
BSc (Hons) in Business Psychology with HRM - LJMU
