My Bond with FCC
by Muhammad Umer Chaudhry After studying for 11 years at an army school, I wanted to go to an army college with the plan to somehow join the military, but my parents had other plans. They asked me to apply to FC College, telling me, “Come on! It’s Gen. Musharraf’s institution (I was a fan).” Well it was a lucky day in 2004 when I did get admission here. At FCC I was fortunate to study under some of the finest and most dedicated Physics teachers who introduced me to this, as I say, “glamorous” subject, and I chose Physics to be my career. I also took admission in the Baccalaureate program here in 2006 and learnt a lot about life other than Physics: how to serve one another by love; how to make yourself a source of happiness or comfort for others rather than being a menace for society; how not to sit back in certain situations but to speak up against the ills of society, against injustice whether it be directed towards us or anybody else. And these lessons are the most precious ones that FCC taught me. I have the deepest love for this institution where the values of inter-faith respect, gender equality, impartiality and opportunities for everyone to progress are stronger than anywhere else in the country. Now I am back at FCC as a teacher of Physics. Fortunately I have found that while the campus is becoming more and more beautiful and full of facilities and infrastructure, the golden values remain the same here as before. I pray that this culture stays like this forever and I want to play a positive part in making it...
And the Time is …
by Eileen Dass When I got the new FCC 2014 calendar, I sent it to my niece in Karachi. One night I got an urgent phone call from her. She said she needed to ask something, and didn’t have much credit left on her cell phone so she wanted a quick answer. I got worried and asked her the problem. She said she had looked at all the pages of the calendar and couldn’t find the “150” on the photograph of the Susheela Building (the September photograph). I asked her, “What time does the clock on the building show?” She answered, “Ten minutes to two.” I asked her, “And what is ten minutes to two?” Finally she got it, and said, “One fifty.” This has been the most interesting calendar FCC has printed to...
Earliest Student Societies
The oldest society of the college is the Debating Society, established in 1887. It organised debates on topics which, surprisingly enough, were mostly political. One topic for a debate in 1905 was: “Resolved that the Indian National Congress has done more harm than good”. (The motion, when put to vote, was carried.) We also find mention of two rival societies, the Academical Society and the Gladstonians. Every year the two societies met at an annual debate which was a popular and much-awaited function. There was a Cosmopolitan Society which met every Saturday in Dr Griswold’s room and whose subscription was one anna per month. The Social Service League was founded in 1907 by Mr Fleming. It had no office-bearers and each member was supposed to render some social service every week and report it to the society. These were published in the Folio. Social work meant anything from reading books to the illiterate to persuading people to give up smoking. A proud report ran like this. “I read Fasan-i-Azad loudly to others in order to impress upon them the bad effects of opium-taking.” A Temperance Society was formed, though we wish to believe it was not needed. Two literary societies were formed in 1889. In 1914-15, we are told, there was a big crop of “crazy gangs” in the college. But, alas, only a few, like “Chaudhary Brotherhood,” “Mota Club” (what weight they carried in college politics we do not know), “Laughing Club” and “Ugly Club” (was membership open or secret?) are mention in the college journal. The Science Society organised by Mr Shah and Mr Benade was formed in 1915. Next year the most illustrious club, the “Fifteen”, was organised. Its membership was coveted by every student for it consisted of only the best. Essentially a literary group , it produced a number of writers and intellectuals. There was also a “Fiverise” Society founded in 1916 whose first Secretary was G. L. Nanda, now the Indian Home Minister. A Speakers’ Union was formed in 1919, and Literary Society founded by Mr M. S. Bhatty. The same year the “Economics Club” and the Rice Philosophical Union were established. The Dramatic Club was organised in 1942, although in many later issues of the college magazine the question was anxiously asked: “Where is the Dramatic Club?” The same question is being asked today. The Griswold History Society came into being in 1923 and Urdu Society in 1924. There is a mention of a Co-operative Sales Society in 1919 with Mr Benade as the man in charge. Its share was valued at Re. 1 and it was compulsory for all students and...
Remembering Dr Ritze
by Dr Rehan Siddiqui In 1966 I got admission and a tuition scholarship for graduate studies at the University of Cincinnati, USA. The university did not offer me an assistantship for my board and lodging. Everybody discouraged me from going to the USA without financial assistance. Dr Fritz Ritze, who was teaching English at FCC, met me in a meeting and discussed the situation with me. He said, “Rehan you must go because I know that you will get the financial assistance when you join the university and show your performance. If you feel you have no money to eat I will support you from New York.” On his encouragement, I went to Cincinnati and got financial assistance. Now I feel that those encouraging words helped me in improving my qualifications. Dr Ritze was a role model and he believed in the college motto: “By love serve one another”. Photograph of Dr Ritze: The Yearbook – Folio: Forman Christian College, 1971-72. Photographs of Dr Rehan Siddiqui from his personal...
Seeing Double: Remembering FCC
by Mian Muhammad Rashid Javed My first contact at FCC was with Mr Naeem Asad-Ullah at new student orientation day. He was my adviser, he spent the whole day with us. He briefly explained to us the education system here, the degree program, credit hours, add drop, WF, WP, midterm and final terms. On the very next day, I had my hostel interview. When I entered the interview room, the person who was taking the interview looked similar my adviser. At first I thought he was my adviser and I was amazed that he did not recognize me. In fact, we had spent the whole day together the day before. After a few days I came to know that he was Mr Nadeem Asad-Ullah, the twin brother of Mr Naeem Asad-Ullah! It’s quite difficult for me to write down in words the feelings that I have for Forman Christian College. I spent four years of my educational life here. These four years were splendid and memorable. The faculty of Forman Christian College was very friendly and cooperative. Their way of teaching and giving lectures was unique, it allowed a student to learn and flourish. In my Economics Department I liked Mr Muhammad Afzal Tabassum, Mr Zahid Iqbal, Dr Hafiz Rizwan Ahmed and Dr Muhammad Aslam Chaudhry. In my early days at FCC, I was low in confidence. I felt I would be lucky if I even managed to pass with average grades. However the structure of education at FCC, combined with hard work, led towards my achieving a BS (Hons) degree in Economics with good grades. These are a very few simple words of thanks to Forman Christian College. 150th Happy Birthday to my Alma Matter...
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