General posts

a great paulite pases away

Tue, 31 Aug 2010 09:03:45 +0530

nfluential materials scientist Rustum Roy dies
Friday, August 27, 2010 Rustum Roy Rustum Roy, Evan Pugh professor emeritus of the solid state, died at his home in State College on Thursday Aug. 26. Roy was a founder of the Penn State Materials Research Laboratory, now the Materials Research Institute. In 1973 he founded the Materials Research Society, an international society which now has members in 80 countries.

Roy was born in Ranchi, Bihar Province, India, on July 3, 1924. He came to the United States in 1946 to study for a doctorate in ceramic science at Penn State. He joined the Penn State faculty as an assistant professor in 1951, rose to the rank of professor of geochemistry in 1957 and was named an Evan Pugh professor, Penn State's highest faculty rank, in 1981. In 1948, he married Della Martin Roy, professor emerita of materials science at Penn State, who survives.

Roy was an innovator who wrote seminal papers in a number of areas of materials science, according to Carlo Pantano, director of the Materials Research Institute. "Rustum Roy made a difference for the field of materials science and for Penn State. He had a tremendous publication record extending back 60 years that people still refer to in their research," Pantano said. "At every step of the way he seemed to be ahead of the curve, in research as well as in the way he managed the scientific enterprise."

Pantano continued, "He was well-known to be an enthusiastic and provocative lecturer by students and colleagues alike. His crystal chemistry course was on every graduate student's course list, in addition to numerous special topics courses he created in concert with the latest and hottest research topics in materials science."

Roy's seminal work in developing the sol-gel process and in identifying the phases of barium titanate, the most widely used material for capacitors, gained him worldwide recognition, according to Clive Randall, a Penn State colleague and the director of the Center for Dielectric Studies. "His impact on ceramics in the late '60s and '70s was obvious when I dealt with international companies who knew his work well and utilized it to improve the quality of ceramic capacitors," Randall said.

Roy also made important advances in microwave science and processing, according to his collaborator, Dinesh Agrawal, professor of materials at Penn State. Their lab was the first to apply microwaves to the processing of metals, and they also discovered a technique to separate the electrical and magnetic fields in microwaves and use them in processing.

Roy also was innovative in his approach to materials science and among the first to recognize the necessity of bringing together scientists from many disciplines to work on solving difficult problems. This interdisciplinary approach was the underlying philosophy of the Materials Research Laboratory, which he led from 1962 to 1985. In 1969, he founded the Science, Technology and Society program at Penn State, which became a model for similar programs at universities across the nation.

He was the author of six books with subjects that ranged from science policy to sexual ethics. He was elected to the National Academy of Engineering in 1973, and was a foreign member of four other National Academies. He also served as distinguished professor of materials science at Arizona State University and visiting professor of medicine at the University of Arizona.

Funeral services will be at 1:30 p.m. on Sunday, Aug. 29, at the University Baptist and Brethren Church, 411 S. Burrowes Street, State College.

Alma mater on silver screen

Sat, 03 Jul 2010 12:12:04 +0530

I recently saw 3 Idiots and thought to share the experience of seeing my old institutions in movies.
I studied in 3 places which were used as movie backdrops:
La Martiniere Lucknow (used in a movie with Hema Malini and Raja Murad - cant remember the name)
Indian Institue of Management Bangalore - seen in 3 Idiots
St Pauls - seen in Do Anjaane and Main Hoon Na

My fave of the lot is Do Anjaane - mainly coz the schook played itself and was dressed up as something else. Obviously the one I like least is Main Hoon Na - Shushmita Sen is pretty no doubt but to see her shimmying in the masters common room was a bit too much.

Seeing your old school on screen is nostalgic and brings back the memories - but usually also reflects how much times have changed!!!

Ex SPS Head Master in the News

Thu, 24 Jun 2010 18:34:30 +0530

http://www.telegraphindia.com/1100615/jsp/...ry_12566926.jsp

St Pauls in WW 2

Sun, 20 Jun 2010 12:56:42 +0530

I am researching my father in law who served in the RAF in India in 1943 and spent some time in Darjeeling on leave.
He became very dood friends with a family called PELL and they had a son who attended SP in 1943

His name was Peter Irvin Pell and he had sisters called Cynthia and Thelma

I ask if anyone can tell me how to discover his details - alumni - school roll or does anyone know of the family?

They ran a guest house called Beechcroft in Darj.

I would be grateful for any information

Nick Barnard

Looking For

Wed, 12 May 2010 18:49:30 +0530

Satyaki,Karambir,RN,
Please ask Satyaki to contact me at pgpmx@yahoo.com or send me his email.
It is to do with an unraced colt which is being offered in France. I am interested in the bloodline for breeding in India.. need advice.
Saludos
Philip

Research - Help requested

Mon, 22 Mar 2010 17:31:30 +0530

I'm doing some research for someone who is looking for information on something called the Indo-British Village Welfare Trust and also someone by the name of Sri B D Nanda.
It's probably easier to let the person explain in their own words :-

"My husband had a fascinating Great Aunt ,Lottie Camebus, was very keen on Indian culture and India and used to travel there regularly. I have the records that she travelled from India by ship to the Uk in 1928, 1938, 1949 and 1958.

I am trying to find out more about her time there. In her original will dated 1963 she mentions a Shri B D Nanda and also the Indo-British Village Welfare Trust . Has anyone heard of that organisation or has any idea where I could find out more about it or the gentleman?

I have recently found that Mahatma Ghandi wrote to her in 1928 .

Many thanks

P.S. I have now been told that Lottie Camebus owned property in India . Is there any way I could look that up? It would have been some time in 1930/50's"

Hope someone out there can help!

Bhutan to Lhasa

Mon, 15 Mar 2010 08:12:13 +0530

Hello Everybody.. Does anyone have any info. on the motorbike tour being offered by Kinley or Thinley Dorje from Bhutan to Lhasa. Please leave a message if anyone knows if it is still being done.. Muchas Gracias.. Philip

Eva Collett ............ memories

Tue, 26 Jan 2010 20:58:33 +0530

I thought this might be of interest to some of our older members:-

http://valmayukuk.tripod.com/id8.html

I came across it whilst surfing the net and it brought back a few memories, even though Eva Collett was before my time at SPS.

Social Networking

Mon, 25 Jan 2010 07:11:46 +0530

hi - I recently came across the St pauls community on Facebook - and there are more members there ( and active ones too!) than on this official forum!! there is a community for SPS as well as for old paulites.

and while on the subject - there is similiar community on Linkedin as well.
those communities would be a good way to keep in touch - i have already found quite a few of my classmates there !!

I am not sure about St Pauls being on Twitter - i am stiill not quite able to figure out how it works ( or rather think it worth figuring out!! - only 144 characters per tweet !! it takes me that much to say hello!!)

btw - Phillip do you have contact details for Animesh Sinha or Yousuf ?

cheers

Pritam

Murphy's Law

Mon, 18 Jan 2010 06:32:13 +0530

Have you ever wondered why, when you drop your toast in a morning, it always lands butter-side down? Or why, when both of your hands are full, your nose starts to itch? Or why floorboards always creak louder at night, when you're trying to be really quiet, than they do during the day?

It's all down to one of those infernal laws that govern the universe, like Einstein's Law of Relativity, Pythagoras's Theorem, or Newton's Law of Motion. Except they never teach you this one at school! It's called Murphy's Law, and it's based on the premise that "If something can go wrong, it will"

A few more examples of Murphy's Law in action - and I'm sure that you can come up with plenty of others:-

Why does the sun always shine through the part of the windscreen that isn't covered by your sun-visor?

Front doors shut just as you realise you left the keys inside. They shut even faster if you left the keys next to the umbrella you now need because it's raining.

As soon as you walk into a room you forget what you went in there to look for.

The domestic appliance that you bought always breaks down the day after the guarantee expires.

That thing you kept in the garage for 20 years because "It might come in useful" is needed urgently a couple of days after you finally threw it away.

Just as you lower yourself into that nice, relaxing bath, the doorbell rings.

The queue you get in at the bank always moves slower than the others.

So, what can we do about this? Sadly, the answer is absolutely nothing! Murphy's Law is the "Law of all Laws" and if you try to do something about changing things you are doomed to failure by the very nature of the Law. So, when things go wrong, allow yourself a wry smile and think "It's that bloody Murphy up to his tricks again.

Finally, a word of advice. Never let your computer know how much of a hurry you're in!

Time before Time

Fri, 08 Jan 2010 22:26:58 +0530

[font="Arial"][/font]The nip in the air
The fresh smell of winter
The distant grandeur of the mountains
The condensation of my breath
The stillness of time
And the lump in my throat
Being pulled back in time
Fragrant innocence of youth
Desire to achieve
Will to perform
Strength to move the mountains
And the zeal to sustain
Have been left behind

Time is eternity
It doesn't come or go
Time is where it was
We move on
If only I could
I certainly would
Go back in time

To relive those moments
Of glory and joy
Of friendship and mischief
Those carefree days
Of sunshine holidays
Those starry nights
And nippy fights
The seven mile run
The shortcuts to fun
The stories of mystery
Ghosts with history
The chapel bells
The red stones besides the grave
The poetry and drama
On stage and off stage
That mountain air
Is no longer there!

The hustle and bustle
The speed, the need
The hazy mornings
With smoke filled evenings
Expectations reversed
Goals achieved
Distances traversed
Innocence replaced
By virtue and maturity
Vanity and sanity
Tired sinews, diminishing strength
Rested but tense
Pressed for care
No will to proceed
Ensconced in my zone
Enlivened as comfort
Having achieved
I have arrived
Or so it seems

Is there a time machine
To take me back
To those days
Of sheer innocence and
Abundant confidence
Carefree existence
Living of life
Each day on its merit
Or am I destined
To live in the past
And worry about the future
Ignoring the present?

Howards Departure

Tue, 29 Dec 2009 10:54:03 +0530

David Howard.. Great Geography Teacher and Good Choir Master..
When Peter Shenking Liu and myself recieved our first communion during Cross�s watch.. I had a long chat on what Confirmation and Christian life was all about etc. with David Howard, he spoke freely as he was also studying to be a Rev. Quite a moving ceremony we went through with Padre Leblond and a local Bishop if I remember.. anyone know the whereabouts of Shenking Liu.. Great Guy
I can surely say that serving as an altar boy with PC and others, the Sung Eucharist and those wonderfully inspiring COE hymns were the best things I took away from school..

When the stars threw down their spears
And water�d heaven with their tears
Did He smile His work to see
Did He who make the lamb make thee

William Blake

Draw Near With Faith To Wallowing Toimes
2010 in She Climbs

Via email from Kabir Mustafi

Fri, 04 Dec 2009 21:20:14 +0530

This from Kabir Mustafi via email:- ( Please reply to Kabir at kabirmustafi@gmail.com )

Dear Old Paulites, colleagues and well-wishers, [Nairs/ Pant/ Bishop Sahb/ Shal - for info only]

I regret to inform that Deepak Rikhye (hS/73), suffered a cerebral stroke with paralysis of the left side on Wednesday last. Rubina, his wife, and Kamini (mine), are in touch (and some staff), and we are relieved too, to be able to say that he is recovering well. However, the doctors say it could be several months before he is back on his feet and "normal".

Deepak was very much a part of Prospect, and despite business hard times, we will ensure all his dues are paid up. We shall also ensure, as per policy and what has been done for others, that we help to absorb some of his medical expenses (including physiotherapy etc) as best as we can. But the reason for writing to all of you, is to say that I would be personally grateful if we could each just just pitch in with a thousand rupee (five hundred if someone is stretched) contribution, sent directly to Rubina. The kids are shaky (daughter is 18 and son is 10), and it would be a matter of strength to all of them, if we could add substantially to their sense of security.
Rubina's bank accounts are -
RUBINA RIKHYE
CORPORATION BANK,
NEW DELHI ACCOUNT NO. 23530
&
RUBINA & DEEPAK RIKHYE
PUNJAB NATIONAL BANK,
NEW DELHI ACCOUNT NO. 0427 0001 0399 1608
If depositing the money in her account is too inconvenient, you could send a bank draft, or an at par cheque, directly to her please. The address of the school where she works is -
SAPLINGS A 1254,
PASCHIM VIHAR,
NEW DELHI 110 063
You don't need to keep me informed or anything but perhaps the Hony Secy, OPA(NI), could be kept in the picture. With thanks and gratitude in anticipation, but remembering past support to other OPs in distress, I am,
With good wishes and affection, yours sincerely,
Kabir. (CL' 70)

OPA's

Tue, 13 Oct 2009 13:45:40 +0530

Are there any old Paulites who went to SP during the fifties who still live in Darjeeling ?

Groundhogs, Days of

Sat, 03 Oct 2009 04:24:41 +0530

There it goes! Same damn noise every morning! I reached over and slammed my hand down on the "off" button. After a few moments to adjust my brain to the "awake" mode I slipped out from under the bedclothes and shuffled to the bathroom. I ran the cold water and splashed it over my face. The shock was enough to fully awaken me! Now I could wash properly and ready myself for the day ahead. After washing and dressing I went to the kitchen and boiled the kettle for the obligatory two cups of tea, made and ate some toast, and picked up my car keys. Now for the part I hate - the drive through the rush hour traffic! On Sundays I can do the journey in 20 - 25 minutes. On weekdays I can still be sitting in the car an hour later! The route is so familiar I could do it in my sleep! Leave home, turn left at the end of the street, straight road for a few miles till you hit the traffic lights. Turn right and carry on for another eight miles, turn right, find a parking space, and walk the last hundred yards or so. Simple! And so it was this morning - until I hit the traffic lights. And then something strange happened - I woke up!! The alarm clock was ringing its stupid head off ..... and I was still in bed!
Sh*t! I was going to be late! I went through the routine all over again, although I had to give up on the tea and toast. Into the car, down the road, the traffic was even worse! Eventually I reached the traffic lights. Just my luck! They turned red just as I got there! After what seemed like an eternity the lights changed to green. I put the car in gear, released the brake and ....... the bloody alarm went off! What was going on? How could I still be in bed?
That's the trouble with dreams. I mean, as you sit in front of your computer reading this, how do you actually know.................???

(Based on a true story!! It happened to me! I did eventually wake up (some might argue that point!) but I gave up on work for the day!!)

How many kids do you want to have or have?

Tue, 15 Sep 2009 19:59:50 +0530

QE-II Stakes

Sat, 12 Sep 2009 09:07:47 +0530

Very sad to hear that the QE-II Stakes will be discontinued after 2011..

Bloody Shame.. because out of the handful of Royal Turfs existing today in the world two of them are in India

What is racing coming to in India or rather where is it going?

View From The

Sat, 12 Sep 2009 08:34:12 +0530

Everybody must know by now how deep some of our boys are into racing. Racing topics on the Paulite forum have the most regular posts and carry some of the most amazing ante-post insights & can quite useful if gambling is your forte.
MAM has to have his pride challenged.. he has no true feedback to rely on.. In the past he got away with rash decisions because the other owners were just plain lazy or did not have the wherewithall to stand upto him.. The few owners with a passable first string in the 80�s just wanted to take home trophies with the least amount of work... even if that meant sleeping with enemy every now & then.
Satyaki it is clear that you and your team have been extremly fortunate with your purchases over the last few years.. I wish you continue buying with the same eye so that your Gr1 wards will drive a hard bargain at Mahalakshmi and elsewhere.. I am also glad to hear you are considering moving a string to Calcutta.. it will liven up the place, at least the bookies will be on their toes!

So you think you can ride a motorbike.........!!!

Tue, 01 Sep 2009 19:49:49 +0530

Asking in Rhyme

Tue, 18 Aug 2009 10:14:58 +0530

Why do parents send their children off to boarding school
I ask myself now that i have two
Is it to make a man out of the boy
By putting school into his head ?

Sometimes like a ship of fools
Us against the rules
Sometimes full of pride
Rising up to meet the tide

Sometimes all bruised and bare
Looking for a little care
The urchins face
Has left its trace

Been back once
With some girls in tow
Felt wonderfully wonderful
In the after-glow