"........let our education be moving from school curriculum to life curriculum, from Information to transformation, from knowledge to wisdom, from competition to cooperation, from division to unity, from selfishness to generosity, and finally how to make a living, to
HOW TO LIVE WELL"

Each child is a beautiful flower in a plant of the family. This plant is rooted in the garden of the society. Each child is a positive asset and precious natural resource which needs to be cherished, nourished and developed with utmost tenderness and care. Every parent wants to poster in their children the foundational human qualities like sincerity, honesty, obedience, sharing and caring, love, kindness, services and understanding in daily life. Therefore education is not just a transmission of knowledge and information to the learner but this transmission must influence the young minds to realize their own self. Hence education is a process by which a person's body, mind, spirit and personality are formed and strengthened. It is the foundation on which rests the edifice of the society and democracy.

In any way the education should help a person how to make a living, and at the same time it should help the individual how to live well. Making a living is important and the most important thing is to teach the young, how to live. Our world today is beset with terrorism, fundamentalism, violence etc. It should be . the prime duty that we through education open the minds and hearts of the young towards the path of good values, which will lead them to be persons of good and noble character.

St. Joseph's College, is like every year, this year also, here with its annual college magazine which will help each and everyone of us to count the innumerable blessings showered upon us by the Almighty through out the year. It has been the constant effort by the faculty to bring about all round, balanced and harmonious development of our children. All our curricular and extra-curricular activities are oriented towards the same goal.

The coming academic year 2009-2010 is going to be a special one as our college is completing a century and quarter with its rich tradition and excellence in the field of education. It is my proud privilege to head this great institution when we celebrate the Post Centenary Silver Jubilee of our college. I congratulate all our students, staff and parents, present and past as one SJC family. We shall have a grand celebration together with our Alumni, friends, well-wishers and benefactors.

We look forward for a grace filled year and continue to strive for excellence in every field. A century and quarter old our motto "SEMPER SURSUM" "Always aim high" will continue to be our source of inspiration in every activity of our college. We pray that let our education be moving from school curriculum to life curriculum, from information to transformation, from knowledge to wisdom, from competition to cooperation, from division to unity, from selfishness to generosity, and finally how to make a living, to HOW TO LIVE WELL. May our heavenly patron, St. Joseph bless, protect and intercede for us always. May God bless us all.

Rev. Fr. Louis Mascarenhas
Principal

"To be yourself in a world that is constantly trying to
make you something else is the greatest accomplishment."

Ralph Waldo Emerson

Indeed, our life is becoming more and more complicated in this modern world, especially due to the effects of media. The facilities like mobile and internet have reduced the distance between people. However, in my opinion, they have also increased the distance from one's own self. We have lost the melody to our own tune. We have forgotten how to be in touch with the inner voice. If we always remember to be true to our own internal melody, happiness, which everyone longs for, will follow with every step.

No doubt, learning takes place at each and every moment of our lives. We only need to acknowledge and affirm that process in our lives. Perhaps, the greatest knowledge one can have in his/her life is the self-knowledge. We respect each person's right to be self directing and autonomous and believe that this can most easily be achieved through awareness of oneself - through self knowledge. In the words of Tao Tzu, it is rightly said, "Knowing others is wisdom, knowing oneself is enlightenment." So, today's education is towards directing a person to enlightenment, to a true knowledge of self. We trust in the innate goodness and wisdom of each person's spirit. Therefore, as we impart knowledge to the students who are under our care, we are also concerned about respecting and nourishing the uniqueness which is within each individual and the potential which is their birthright. So, I believe that every learning should be geared towards discovering oneself. Self-knowledge will lead to self-acceptance and eventually to self-transformation; which is the greatest pillar of our personality development.

We are all brought up in a particular family, within a particular culture at a particular time. Sometimes our inner self does not get encouragement. How we are brought up, how we are treated and the social conditions which exist at the time will all have an effect on who we grow up to think we are. However, if we are constantly in touch with our inner self, the best can emerge out of us. One of the ways to be in touch with oneself is to recognize our feelings and to own them up.

Silence is the vital key to self knowledge. Many of us are afraid of silence today. I once asked a group of boys to keep silence and close their eyes for two minutes. Surprisingly, most of the boys opened their eyes before the completion of 60 seconds.

There is a lot of noise around us and within us which stop us from listening to our inner self. If we truly listen to our inner self, that will enable an integral growth of our self. Our concern is that education should help us to grow not just mentally but emotionally and spiritually too, aiming at an integral growth of a person.

To end with, I would like to recall what John F Kennedy once said, "Let us think of education as the means of developing our greatest abilities, because in each of us there is a private hope and dream which, fulfilled, can be translated into benefit for everyone and greater strength of the nation."

I pray for God's countless blessings upon all our staff and students. I thank all those staff and students who have contributed through their write-ups for this issue of the magazine. May you grow in creativity and inspire more and more people through your pen; for-pen is mightier than the sword .

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Frank Outlaw once said, "Watch your thoughts, they become words. Watch your words, they become your actions. Watch your actions, they become habits. Watch your habits, they become character. Watch your character, it becomes your: destiny." Keeping in mind the concept behind this quote, I would like to caution every Josephite not to get swayed away by false ideologies. In the year 2008, various terrorist activities have weakened the brawny fabric of our country. They have sown the feelings of fear and insecurity even among the common folk. I call upon all the Josephites, to express your solidarity with the victims of terrorism and to pray for the safety of every citizen in India.

Another aspect that threatens the unity of our nation is the religious intolerance. There is a need to strengthen religious harmony through mutual tolerance, confidence, respect and understanding. Perhaps, . we need to practice the following to achieve that aim: recognize the secular nature of our country, promote solidarity within our society; respect each other's freedom of religion, grow our common space while respecting our diversity, and foster inter-religious communications.

St. Joseph's College, Allahabad has been premiere in fostering those values among the students who pass through its portals. I have witnessed recently how the College created an atmosphere of solidarity among the students during the Mumbai attacks. May our St. Joseph's College produce individuals who - will protect the democratic politics, political freedoms, civil liberties and religious tolerance of our nation. St. Joseph's College, Allahabad has entered into the portals of Post Centenary Silver Jubilee year. It indeed is a great achievement in the field of education. I wish to place on record the dedication and commitment with which our staff worked to bring the College to this status. I wish the College Family every success in all the celebrations and activities that they are going to hold during this Jubilee year, the academic year 2009-2010. As our predecessors and elders of St. Joseph's College, Allahabad had done 'in the past, so may our present St. Joseph's Family realize its goals and visions, with its motto "Semper Sursum" - "Aim Always High", as high as the sky. May God bless each one of us.

With every good wish, loving greetings and blessings.

(Isidore Fernandes)
Bishop of Allahabad