In the depths of the University of Colombo, amidst the stacks of ancient textbooks and under the watchful gaze of scholarly ghosts that surrounded the halls of the Science library, the Gavel Club was about to embark on yet another Halloween day expedition. But this wasn’t just any gathering—it was a grand celebration of immortality, marking the milestone of the 300th Educational Meeting disguised as a Halloween-themed extravaganza, on the 30th of October, 2023!
As the members gathered one by one, balloons of all hues – black, orange and white – started flying around the premises, signifying the presence of vampires, pumpkins and a sergeant-at-arms worthy Mohini. The air crackled with excitement, and a hint of pumpkin spice spread around whispering “Ice, spice, everything’s nice!”.
Setting up the perfect platform for an eerie yet fun couple of hours, the President, GV Vinupa called the feast to order. Thereafter, Count Dracula himself, also known as the Haunt Master-of-the-Day, took to the stage in a cape that looked suspiciously like a graduation gown, revealing the theme of the meeting: ‘Phantom Fest’. Formal introductions were then made by a clever bunch of immortals, starting with the General Evaluator, GV Sayuri, and her group of minions comprising of the Timer, GV Amrah, the Ah-counter, GV Nuhaa, and the Grammarian, GV Yunal. The Grammarian did not forgot to give all ghouls a word to howl, in the likes of the Word of the Day.
With the intention of not just improving public speaking skills, but to celebrate the eternal bond as members of the Gavel Club, the meeting proceeded to the next segment, the Round Robin Session. GV Shayan took the stage to conduct an entertaining Round Robin session, asking everyone what they would do if they ever came across a scary figure. For a moment it seemed like all ghouls forgot who they actually were, for some were ready to scream, some were ready to run away, while one was ready to double it and give it to the next person!
Next up, GV Naethree, an experienced phantom, took the stage to deliver a splendid performance with her CC6 speech titled ‘The Scent of Burning’. Staying on brand with the vibe of the day, she captivated the entire crowd, taking them on a journey from fear to realization, showing off her powerful vocal expressions. The speech was then given an equally insightful evaluation by someone who had seen more “Galloweens” (That is Gavel for Halloween if anyone is wondering: Gavel + Halloween = Galloween) than anyone, GV Nishedha. The room erupted in cheers and applause, accompanied by the occasional howl from a couple of werewolves in the back row, who happened to be GV Theshani, GV Samiru and GV Thishakya, who were especially excited with how well the PR of the meeting was kicking on.
Then, it was time for the Table Topic round, and GV Prabhani took the stage with a set of thrilling topics which were tackled by a set of brilliant ghouls who did justice to the segment. The crew also didn’t forget to organize a fun game to bring all specters together. GV Mahisha and GV Venuri (a.k.a. Mohini-at-arms) took charge and conducted a few rounds of spooky charades, which everyone enjoyed.
As the meeting transitioned into the evaluation half, Count Dracula took to the stage once more, and called up the poetic witch GV Sayuri to cast her spells along with her minions. After a thought-provoking round of reports and table topics evaluations by GV Ruwinda and GV Mahisha, it was time to bid farewell and look forward to 300, if not more of these nostalgic gatherings.
With that in mind, the Gavel Club of University of Colombo raised their goblets (or rather, their cups of sprite and coca cola) in a toast to immortality and the endless pursuit of knowledge & team spirit, all while acknowledging and expressing gratitude to those who have contributed to bringing the institution to this point. Cake was also not forgotten, as the Club Presidents, present and past, gathered to the front of the stage to cut the cake and wish immortality to Gavel UOC as everyone clapped in joy!
The meeting was finally adjourned by the President GV Vinupa, and thus began the oh-so popular cookie and iced coffee sales led by GV Nitharshanan and GV Shenuka. As the crowd filed out of the haunted lecture hall, they knew that no matter how many meetings they had attended, there would always be more laughter, more learning, and more opportunities to dress up like creatures of the night. And so, the 300th Educational Meeting of the Gavel Club became a legendary celebration of immortality, friendship, and the sheer joy of public speaking!
Post Credit: Centuries later, these writings were found engraved in Count Dracula’s diary.
In Gavel’s halls, we gather strong and true,
300 meetings, learning, and breakthroughs too.
A toast to those who paved the way with grace,
And Gavel UOC, standing firm in every place.
GAVEL NEVER STOPS !
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