Mangaluru: The inaugural function of Al-Madhyam, association for journalism, St Aloysius College (autonomous) was held recently at Sanidhya auditorium.

Manohar Prasad, chief of news bureau for the Udayavani division here, was the chief guest. V U George, editor and publisher of Mangalore Today was guest of honour. The guests lit a lamp to mark the symbolic beginning of the association's activities.

Manohar Prasad, who has been working at Udayavani since 1984, reminisced the old times in the city and what they were meant to be and V U George enlightened the students on what it takes to be a pioneer in one’s field of interest. He put forth the harsh reality about the fact that most students graduating from schools of journalism are ineligible and incapable of working in the media sector. He urged the students to treat their work seriously so as to pave the way for success.

The co-ordinator of extra curricular activities in the college, Precilla D’Silva spoke about the importance of such associations in honing the skills of the students and preparing them for life outside the college. The function was also attended by the faculty of Journalism department of the college. The Al-Madhyam association of the college gives students a glimpse of the vast field of journalism, through activities relating to media, films and public relations. It serves as a platform for students from other streams to get hands-on experience in reporting, photography, videography, interviews etc.