MUMBAI: "What's the dress code? What are you going to ask him?" For 300 college students who will be meeting US President Barack Obama next Sunday at St Xavier's College, Diwali plans have been put on the backburner. While a bulk of the students will be Xavierites, five to six city colleges including, KC, Jai Hind, HR and St Andrew's Colleges, will be sending a delegation of students for the town hall style meeting.
Across campuses, the chosen few are preparing for the meeting with army-style precision that even the state government could take lessons from. At Jai Hind College in south Mumbai, for instance, the 20 chosen students have divided themselves into teams, which will "undertake different sets of responsibilities" . "One team is working on background research and another is at a professor's house. She is helping us frame our questions," says Ridhi Shah (21), a TYBA student of Jai Hind. If Shah is pinching herself with excitement, she's not the only one.
Students have been carefully selected so that all the college's departments are represented. "Everyone is coming up with as many questions as possible, but our biotechnology teammates are preparing a brilliant question ," says Shah.
Ask her what the brilliant question is and she clams up. The 'Obama questions' are top secret, and there can't be any leaks. "We don't want another college to steal our question ," says a fellow student. It's a similar scene at other colleges, too, with students refusing to divulge any details.
At St Xavier's College, though, students are still on tenterhooks as professors has yet to decide who will participate in the meeting.
"Three hundred students will be allowed for the event, and we have invited some colleges for that purpose. We haven't decided exactly how many students from St Xavier's will be attending the event, but this should be done soon. Students need to submit their contact details as well as one photograph for identity purposes," said college principal , Fr Frazer Mascarenhas . Many college principals have adopted a stringent selection process with a range of criteria ranging from level of interest to knowledge on US policies. "We interviewed all our students who expressed their interest in meeting President Barack Obama," said Rekha Bahadur, vice-principal (Degree College) at HR College. Selected students, she said have been given a reading list to ensure that they are thoroughly prepared on topics related to India as well as the US.
Twenty-year-old Olivia D'Silva from St Andrew's College at Bandra has a different plan of action.
She says: "I am more interested in listening to what President Obama himself will have to tell us. I'm sure he has a lot of topics to discuss. I will be one of those spectators who will be observing and absorbing each and every word he says."
Across campuses, the chosen few are preparing for the meeting with army-style precision that even the state government could take lessons from. At Jai Hind College in south Mumbai, for instance, the 20 chosen students have divided themselves into teams, which will "undertake different sets of responsibilities" . "One team is working on background research and another is at a professor's house. She is helping us frame our questions," says Ridhi Shah (21), a TYBA student of Jai Hind. If Shah is pinching herself with excitement, she's not the only one.
Students have been carefully selected so that all the college's departments are represented. "Everyone is coming up with as many questions as possible, but our biotechnology teammates are preparing a brilliant question ," says Shah.
Ask her what the brilliant question is and she clams up. The 'Obama questions' are top secret, and there can't be any leaks. "We don't want another college to steal our question ," says a fellow student. It's a similar scene at other colleges, too, with students refusing to divulge any details.
At St Xavier's College, though, students are still on tenterhooks as professors has yet to decide who will participate in the meeting.
"Three hundred students will be allowed for the event, and we have invited some colleges for that purpose. We haven't decided exactly how many students from St Xavier's will be attending the event, but this should be done soon. Students need to submit their contact details as well as one photograph for identity purposes," said college principal , Fr Frazer Mascarenhas . Many college principals have adopted a stringent selection process with a range of criteria ranging from level of interest to knowledge on US policies. "We interviewed all our students who expressed their interest in meeting President Barack Obama," said Rekha Bahadur, vice-principal (Degree College) at HR College. Selected students, she said have been given a reading list to ensure that they are thoroughly prepared on topics related to India as well as the US.
Twenty-year-old Olivia D'Silva from St Andrew's College at Bandra has a different plan of action.
She says: "I am more interested in listening to what President Obama himself will have to tell us. I'm sure he has a lot of topics to discuss. I will be one of those spectators who will be observing and absorbing each and every word he says."
Read more: Students prepare top-secret queries - The Times of India http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/mumbai/Students-prepare-top-secret-queries/articleshow/6839597.cms#ixzz13pva30m2
