Athneon 1.0 marked a turning point for us at The Heritage School, a bold step into the world of technology, creativity, and imagination. Inspired by the theme “From Stardust to Silicon,” it celebrated how far human curiosity has travelled — from exploring the cosmos to building the circuits that power our everyday lives.
Overview
Open to students from Classes 8 to 12 across Kolkata, Athneon brought together young innovators, coders, designers, builders, and dreamers. Across 12 events, from Hackathons and Startup Pitch Battles to BattleBots, Music Production, and Blender Animation, the fest pulsed with energy and fresh ideas.
We’ve hosted countless cultural events before, but this one felt different. It wasn’t about lights and applause; it was about invention, about proving that creativity and technology could share the same heartbeat. With its dynamic contests and electric atmosphere, Athneon 1.0 didn’t just begin a new tradition; it hinted at the start of something lasting.
Origins
Every big story starts small, and Athneon began with something as simple as lunch. The founding team — Sai Sanket, Siddhant Jhaveri, Neil Sahu, and Shiladitya Sengupta — often talked about how commerce and humanities fests like Psyquest and Youthopia thrived, while tech-minded students had nowhere to experiment.
“We were just talking about it casually but the more we spoke, the more real it felt.” — Sai
What began as a passing idea soon turned into a quiet plan. The group started sketching ideas between classes, trading messages, imagining what their version of a tech fest could look like. “It stayed between us for a while,” Siddhant said. “We didn’t know if people would take it seriously.” But they kept at it, building quietly until their idea had a pulse.
The Vision and Support
When the idea reached our Principal, Seema Ma’am, and our Headmistress, Runa Ma’am, it stopped being a secret and started becoming a plan.
“The Heritage School has always encouraged creativity. But science and technology needed their own stage. Athneon gave them one and the best part was that it came entirely from the students.” — Seema Ma’am
Their trust gave us momentum. Overnight, the corridors were filled with lists, sketches, and spreadsheets. The sound of clattering keyboards replaced guitar tuning and for the first time, our school was preparing for a festival powered by code. What followed was a stretch of long days and longer nights.
Building the Fest
Samarth, one of the core members, recalled those early weeks: “Around June–July, we started meeting after classes, during breaks, wherever we could. It was chaotic but we were building something we’d never seen before.”
Convincing other schools was its own challenge. Siddhant admitted, “Some didn’t respond, but once Ajaz Sir stepped in and guided us through the outreach, things began to fall into place.”
There were moments of panic — deadlines clashing with exams, sleepless nights spent finalising designs, sudden equipment glitches. Yet in that chaos, there was laughter, quiet teamwork, and the satisfaction of seeing something real take shape.
The Day It Came Alive
By the final week, The Heritage School campus was unrecognisable. Posters lined the corridors, cables ran under tables, and computer labs turned into command centres. The sound of bots whirring and teams cheering filled the air.
“It surprised us how well it all came together,” said Priyam Surana from the organising team. “We just wanted to do something innovative, but it became a bonding experience— it made us believe that tech can be fun, expressive, and deeply creative.”
As the day unfolded, we realised what Athneon truly stood for — collaboration over competition, imagination over fear.
Voices Beyond Our Campus
The buzz of Athneon didn’t stop at our gates. Visitors and participants carried its energy back to their own schools, eager to recreate that spark.
Mayurina Sengupta Ma’am from The Future Forward said the events were well-thought-out and different from the usual tech fest pattern. Chandrima Ghosh Ma’am from Sushila Birla High School found it refreshing to see students take complete initiative.
Students, too, left inspired. “It went beyond expectations,” said Rohan Chadhuri from Delhi Public School, Megacity. “A brilliant learning experience and a motivator for those of us dreaming of startups.”
Shiladitya Nandan from Young Horizons School added, “Everything felt student-driven, from planning to execution. It makes me want to start something similar at my own school.”
More Than a Fest
For us, Athneon 1.0 was never just about coding, robotics, or design — it was about what happens when students are trusted to lead. “It started as a brainstorm and became a movement,” said Neil and Shiladitya.
Behind every moment stood the belief of our mentors — Seema Ma’am and Runa Ma’am’s faith, Ajaz Sir’s constant guidance, and the team’s persistence. Together, they turned a quiet conversation into a celebration of science, imagination, and heart.
When the lights dimmed and the last team packed up, we knew something had shifted. Athneon wasn’t a one-time fest; it was a beginning. From stardust to silicon, we learned that every great leap — even the digital kind — still begins with a spark.
Athneon Team
- President — Siddhant Jhaveri
- Vice Presidents — Neil Sahu, Shiladitya Sengupta
- Treasurers — Aayush Ray and Priyam Surana
- Chief Executive Officer — Gitesh Jha
- Chairman — Sai Sanketh
- Secretary — Arushi Baul
- Creative Heads — Garima Sugandh, Divya Agarwal, Drishti Agarwal
- Chief Technical Officer — Rushil Chari, Samarth Vedhanabhatla
- Head of Event Operations — Reshmi Das Gupta
- Directors — Radhika Rani Ruia, Ayaan Imam, Ayaan Kaushal
Athneon teacher-in-charge: Ajaz Middiya