THE ICEC NEWSLETTER
A publication of the India Cultural and Education Center, Inc. Gainesville, Florida
Vol. 6, number 1 February 1997
Chair's Column
Dear friends:
Five years ago a group of concerned members of the Indian community assembled at Dr. Dinesh Shah's home to discuss the need for an organization to serve the students of Indian heritage at the University of Florida. ICEC was born shortly thereafter. The new ICEC building will be ready for use in the coming Fall. It is really an honor and privilege for me to serve ICEC and the Indian community at large as the Chairman of the Cultural Council during this historic year. It is time for us to think how best the building and other resources of ICEC can be put to use for the betterment of future generations.
ICEC is not about the Board of Trustees or the Cultural Council and it is not about the various Committees. ICEC is about the mothers and fathers who work 40+ hours a week to maintain their families and to keep the dreams of their children alive. ICEC belongs to the parents who constantly chauffeur their children from violin lessons to French classes to tennis courts so that they can grow to their fullest potential. The Indian immigrants who are successful in our adopted homeland have been greatly benefitted by the education we had in India. If we want the second generation to excel, we need to provide them a solid background in education. As a focal point our mission let me suggest a project for lack of a better name let me call it Project 100. Let us all commit ourselves to see that every one of our young men and women (100%) receive a fouryear college degree. It is very clear that in the next millennium one will require at least a college degree to have a decent job and maintain a decent standard of living. Let us pledge that we will not let anyone fail because he/she did not have counseling or financial aid or help with their studies. We will make sure that ICEC will provide all kinds of help educational guidance, financial and counseling to every youngster who will need such help. Usually when students struggle through their college, the difficulty can often be traced to lack of preparation in the middle/high school levels. By conducting classes starting from grade school level ICEC can help children excel in their studies and get ready for their college years. Roughly one half of all Americans spend at least 4 hours a week in some type of community service. Ask yourself which half do you belong to? You can use ICEC as a vehicle for your community service. If you have any ideas about contributing to the growth of our children and youngsters, suggest them to ICEC and tell us what you need to accomplish your goals. ICEC will do its best to accommodate your ideas. There are two concerns we have to address immediately. We need to raise an additional $200,000 to complete the building project (see building status on page 2). We ask you to donate whatever amount you can and persuade your friends to do the same. The Fifth Annual Banquet will be held on Saturday, March 8th.
Show your commitment to ICEC by attending the banquet. Of course you will enjoy the great Indian cuisine and a fabulous entertainment program.
Bhavani V. Sankar
Fifth Annual ICEC Banquet
That time has arrived. Have you purchased your ticket yet ? Please call Sheila Moudgil (372-3137) or Neeta Sahni (331-0952) or if you wish you may send your check ($50/- per ticket) to ICEC Membership, 5615 NW 45th Lane, Gainesville, Fl 32606 and your tickets will be mailed to you. The fifth annual banquet will be held on the 8th of March, 1997 at the Gainesville Radisson Inn. The program will be as follows.
- 6 to 7 pm Welcome Hour (Complimentary Beverages, Cash Bar)
- 7:00 pm Dinner
- 8:00 pm ICEC Business (Speeches, Awards, Keynote address, etc.)
- 9:15 pm Live Entertainment
This year's keynote speaker will be Mr. Dilip Barot, a highly successful entrepreneur from West Palm Beach, Florida (see speaker description on page 4). The live music will be provided by an acclaimed orchestral group "Asian Sensation" from Arlington, Texas. The five member ensemble will provide entertainment for a couple of hours by rendering popular and contemporary Indian songs. The songs will be initially geared towards listening and later for the audience to synchronize with dancing. The expenses for bringing this group to Gainesville is expected to be upwards of $2,000. Donations of several sponsors of about $100 each is sought to help defray these expenses. If you wish to help in this effort please call Dr. Ganesh Aurora at 352-332-9366. As outlined in the previous issue of this newsletter, nearly 3/5ths of the proceeds from the banquet go towards paying for the day-to-day operations of ICEC. So please come, enjoy and participate in this community-cum-charity event.
