Morung Express News
Dimapur | March 7
Music makes for the soul of a community; sport gives it the energy to drive forward. In its consistent efforts to empower communities thus, the Oriental Theological Seminary (OTS) is celebrating their 25th anniversary with the neighbourhood of the Urra area here this year. With the theme ‘Sowing, Nurturing and Flourishing,’ the OTS ‘trinity’ lies at the heart of the celebrations—education, sports and music.
“We want to encourage and empower young people through the year long celebrations,” explained Rev. Dr. Wati Aier, Principal of OTS and the driving force behind the ‘trinity.’ Dr. Wati, alongside his wife Alongla P Aier, set up OTS in May 1991—it is a Seminary of higher theological learning established (owned and sponsored) by the Nagaland Baptist Church Council.
With the theme ‘Life through Sports and Music,’ the OTS kicked off its 25th-year celebrations last week with football and volleyball tournaments, ending with a music concert. The Youth Fiesta, held from March 4-6, was an effort to build better relationships with the neighbourhood, exercise evangelism through sports and music, infuse discipline in the youth and encourage them to pursue music and sports as a means for dignified livelihood.
“Celebrations begin at home, and our eight neighbouring villages have been with us throughout our journey of 25 years,” said Avi Vadeo, a lecturer at OTS who, along with other teachers and students, is organising the events. “This is also the celebration of our friendship.”
The football and volleyball matches saw the full-hearted timely participation of the youth from the area, after which the grounds were promptly cleared of the garbage. The participating teams of Kiyeto, Bade, OTS, Urra, Murise, Tsitrongse, Diezephe and Selouphe encouraged each other throughout, lines of who won or lost fading away.
At the music concert on the evening of March 6, every choir, band and individual musician was cheered with equal enthusiasm by a gleeful, yet disciplined, audience. Performances were put up by Bito Lohe, Transformers, Zian, Diezephe youth, Bade folk choir, A Kezo, Ave Cho-o, OTS choir, Aoyimti Baptist Church band and Gloria Patri, among others. The environment of the celebrations and prayers was clearly based on ideals practiced on a daily basis.
The year, however, remains at large and so does the excitement. The venture will be expanded to an intellectual/academic, as well as secular, level entailing workshops on art/music/literature/media with the young generation. This will entail the second part of the Youth Fiesta, scheduled from September 10-17 this year. “We are a community oriented society, so we want to bring young people from varied walks of life to interact with each other. It is only then that we will be able to understand each other and develop a vision of their future, our future,” highlighted Vadeo.
OTS’ goals to knit the community together through sports and music as a means of “de-stressing, fitness and learning outside the classroom” has been extended to the whole year of 2016 as a result of “imagining” celebrations beyond one-day mega events. Scheduled in October, November and December are the formal culmination functions to the 25 enriching years for students and faculty alike.
As we make the journey with the OTS family, it becomes important to remember the focus of the Seminary on the development of a student’s mind, body and soul—education, sports and music inculcating the message of change.
