Astronomical Society of Dharmaraja College (ASDRC)
The Astronomical Society of Dharmaraja College (ASDRC) is a student society of the Dharmaraja College, Kandy, that engages in the study of astronomy
History
Astronomical Society of Dharmaraja College was founded in year 1996 under the guidance of school master Mr. Menon Rajakrishna, proclaiming the first school based Astronomical Society in Kandy district, Sri Lanka. But it was by 1999 it became a well organized and systematized club. During the initial days, it was merely known by the name Astronomy Club. The name Astronomical Society of Dharmaraja College came into use by 2003 and was coined by then its president Harsha Kondasinghe. Inaugural president of the society was Praveen Rodrigo Edirimuni. Since then, 10 presidents have served the society, each for a year.
Organization and Structure
Astronomical Society of Dharmaja College is a student initiated society. It is patronized by the principal of Dharmaraja College and functioned under the inspection of one or two Masters-In-Charge (MICs). Society is headed by the president who is elected at the annual general meeting (AGM) for a period of one year. Office bearers include secretary, treasurer and their assistants along with president's, editor, student coordinator, study coordinator and an executive committee of 10. Besides, two students from each grade down to 6 are appointed as grade coordinators who are liable to the committee. ASDRC initiated from a handful of members at the beginning but now the number of membership has risen to 400. Almost all the advanced level students of the school bear membership of it. Moreover, committees consisting of members are involved in various general and technical tasks at events organized by the ASDRC.
Programs
ASDRC has been organizing various educational events to promote Astronomy in Sri Lanka since its inception. Because Sri Lanka is a developing country and lacks adequate infrastructure, resources and recognition for Astronomy, Astronomical Society of Dharmaraja College acts a pivotal role in promoting interest for these subjects for its own member students as well as studens outside. To accomplish their goals, they adopt a twofold path. First it gives priority for the advancement of knowledge. Then it takes measures to test it. Continuous testing is remarked by ASDRC as the best way of keeping alive the student interest on the subject. Thus it conducts competitions for school and countrywide students annually and periodically.
Educational Programs
ASDRC organizes educational programs for almost all major events in the field of Astronomy covering both inter and outer school student community. This includes solar eclipse observation camps and meteor shower observation camps such as Leonids and Perseides watch. In year 2004, it organized a Venus Transit observation camp. Moreover, ASDRC has been organizing annual Astronomy workshops for school children in Sri Lanka for 11 consecutive years. It organized To The Infinity Astronomy workshop in 2005. And then the first multi purpose Astronomy workshop and sky observation camp in Sri Lanka, Beyond Infinity on 30 September 2006 that sheltered for 20 high schools from all over the country and conducted quiz competitions, lectures, sky obsevation seminars and observation competitions in one whole night. Its second and third chapters extended in 12 October 2007 and 15 November 2008. They were named Exploring Beyond Possibilities and Expanding The Universal Imagination respectively.
Competitions
There are two types of competitions conducted by the ASDRC. Two groups of competitors are tested by them. First is Dharmaraja College students. Students in grade 6 and above are tested and rated periodically to keep the standards of their knowledge. The idea beind that is promoting the knowledge as well as building a strong senior Astronomy quiz team to compete in national level quiz competitions representing the school. Second type of competitions are targeted for the countrywide, below college level students. Having in mind their prorities, ASDRC conducts the Astro Olympiad all-island inter school astronomy quiz competition and all-island inter school observation competition to enhance healthy competition between other schools in Sri Lanka.Quiz competition was first organized in year 2002 and is one of the oldest Astronomy quizzes in Sri Lanka. Usually this competition consists of a written preliminary round, 2 semi finals and a grand final. Both semifinals and final are oral. Preliminary round is divided into 5 sub sections as Cosmology and Astrophysics, General Astronomy, Rocketry and Space Science, History of astronomy and Archaeoastronomy and Observational astronomy. Best four teams selected from this round are taken into the semi finals and teams selected from them to the grand final. Winning team at the final is awarded the Astro Olympiad challenge shield. Observation competition was initiated in year 2006 and marked the beginning of 2nd sky observation competiion in Sri Lanka. It usually consists of 4 or 5 sky observation tasks depending on the visibility and availability of the objects. Usually competing teams get Lunar Sketching, Jupiter Obsevation, Saturn Obsevation, Mars Obsevation, Constellation Mapping and Deep Sky Obsevation as for their tasks. The best team at these tasks get the ASDRC obsevation shield.
Community Services
Astronomical Society of Dharmaraja College understands that its mission is to advance the knowledge pertaining to Astronomy in the entire country, rather than inside its own school perimeters. Thus it conducts seminars for the school children in rural areas that are scarcely heard of anything AbOUT Astronomy. Number of schools including Theldeniya National College, Theldeniya, R. Premadasa K.V. Hasalaka, Gothami Balika Vidyalaya, Kandy and Rahula College, Katugasthota have got Astronomical societies after seminars conducted by the ASDRC. Out of them, the quiz team of Theldeniya National College has gone up to the natioanl level performing well at the competitions.
Achievements
Students of ASDRC have won many regional, national and international level competitions in the past.
Quiz Competitions
Astronomy Quiz team of Dharmaraja College, Kandy has excelled in many competitions, as much as 40 to date. These are all natioanl level competitions. Out of them, they maintain some startling performances such as 5 competition victories in a row at the Soma Pujitha Gunawardene all island inter school challenge quiz competition conducted by Mahamaya Girls' College, Kandy and 6 victories in a row at the Hermon Mendis Challenge trophy Astronomy quiz competition conducted by St.Anthony’s College, Kandy.
Other Achievements
ASDRC students have performed exceptionally well at individual competition such as National Olympiad on Astronomy and Astrophysics. For instacne, 7 out of 15 students selected for the International Olympiad on Astronomy and Astrophysics in year 2007, 2008 and 2009 have come from the Astronomical Society of Dharmaraja College, representing Dharmaraja College, Kandy
Influence on the community
Astronomical Society of Dharmaraja College is a student organization that influenced many schools and institutions outside school. Rocket and Space Science Society of Kandy District is an offspring of it. During the period of 2002/2003, students interested in astronomy in various schools pointed out the necessity of a combined attempt to overturn the lull on fields like Astronomy among the students in Kandy, Sri Lanka. Then the prominent Astronomical Society in the area, Astronomical Society of Dharmaraja College took initiatives to form a regional astronomical society in collaboration with Arthur C. Clark institute for Modern Technology (ACCIMT), Moratuwa. Presidency of this club is circulated among the member schools in an yearly basis. First president being a student of Dharmaraja College, Shamila Wickramasooriya.
See also
- Dharmaraja College, Kandy
- List of Dharmaraja College Alumni
- Dharmaraja–Kingswood Cricket Encounter