The societies and associations in the college promote a variety of interests and activities that cannot be served within the limitations of classroom and syllabus. They were started on the initiative of members of staff and students who shared a particular enthusiasm and they live today by that same enthusiasm. Student office-bearers are elected to run these societies. Members of staff are associated with them as advisers and ex-officio heads.
All students on admission to the College automatically become members of the Union Society, which represents the interests of the students generally, holds collegiate and inter-collegiate debates, arranges for lectures by public men, and promotes social intercourse among students of this College and between them and students of other colleges. The present Society was formed in 1937, but it claims descent from the M.C.C. Debating Society, which was founded in 1877 with the motto “Truth’s like a torch, the more it’s shook, it shines”.
The College Christian Union grew out of a Prayer Union established in 1881. Along with similar associations all over India, it is affiliated to the Student Christian Movement. The Christian Union organises Bible study and prayer fellowships, holds Sunday Schools and camps, and runs a leprosy clinic at Pammal. Its drama group studies and performs Christian plays. Any Christian may join this Union, and so may others who want to know more about the Christian faith in practice.
Another society of wide and open membership is the Rural Service League. This association grew out of the College brotherhood in 1940. The league has been concentrating its efforts on the Old Tambaram village where it maintains an elementary school. The school has five classes and a strength of 350 and it is recognised by the Government. Students can support the league by subscriptions, by helping with the school children, by giving their manual labour and by distributing medicines. In the Students’ Service to the Blind they help with Braille classes, with exhibitions, and by reading books to students who are blind.
Various language associations encourage their members to cherish their own literature and to cultivate their mother-tongue; the Tamil Peravai (1887), the Andhra Bhashabhiranjani Sanghamu (1887), and the Malayali Association. The Samskrit Association was revived in 1937, which year also saw the beginnings of the Hindi Premi Mandali. The Mandali conducts Hindi courses outside College hours. Collections of books, presented to these associations, form the basis of the Indian language sections in the Library. The Tamil Peravai and the Samskrit Association conduct inter-collegiate competitions in oratory for trophies presented by Sri Pennathur Veeraraghvan. The English Association was formed in 1931.
Students in each of the optional subjects studied in the College have formed associations, which bring members of different classes together, promote discussion and sometimes invite eminent people to address them. According to the Philosophy Association (1887) “All out knowledge is ourselves to know”, while the History and Politics Association (1887) claims that “Through the ages one increasing purpose runs”. Next door to the History Association is the Gandhian Study Circle. The Economics Association promotes “intelligent interest and discussion of the fundamental problems in economic theory”, and has lately formed a Planning Forum, which investigates local conditions and keeps the College informed of national developments.
Since the institution of post-graduate studies in Botany and Zoology, the Natural History Association (1899) has divided into Zoology and Botany Associations, which hold meetings and exhibitions during term and sometimes go on excursions also. The physical Science Society has likewise separated into the Physics Association and the Chemistry Association. The Physics Association has conducted well-attended popular symposia in recent years. The Mathematics Association continues undivided, promoting interest in the subject by inviting outside speakers and discussing student papers. Derived from the Physical Science Society, but meeting on top of the Zoology building, is the Astronomical Society. The skies are usually clear over Tambaram, and many more stars can be seen through the College telescope.
There are also various societies not directly connected with academic disciplines, but serving special interests. Thus, the College Dramatic Society open to any who like acting and have a talent for it, stages an English play once a year. With the help of the Physics department, the Photographic Club provides facilities for developing, printing, enlarging, toning, and trick photography. So also, the Radio Club, formed in 1915, which has equipment for world-wide reception, and in which beginners are taught to construct their own radio sets.
Various other societies are formed from time to time, and each Hall organizations of its own. You could even become the founder of one yourself.
