Life as Chula Student

Life as Chula Student 

After finishing high school, Assoc. Prof. Sodsai Pantoomkomol studied at Faculty of Arts, Chulalongkorn University. Back then, there was only one building, Devalai, with no Department of Dramatic Arts. She majored in English. While studying, she was chosen by Prof. H.H. Prince Prof. Prem Purachatra, the current head of Department of Foreign Languages, to  perform in several Shakespeare plays that he directed. She also participated in many extra curriculum activities such as being a singer in the university’s western music club and a president of Chumnum Dontri (western music club or currently C.U. BAND) as the university first female president. She also composed CU POLKA song we all know today.

After finishing bachelor’s degree in 1956, Assoc. Prof. Sodsai Pantoomkomol became a lecturer in Department of English with M.L. Prof. Noppakhun Thongyai as head of the department which is a part of Department of Foreign Languages.

In the following year, Assoc. Prof. Sodsai Pantoomkomol received Fulbright scholarship for a master degree in teaching English Language. However, once H.H. Prince Prem stated his wish for her to studying theatre instead to open up a new department here, Conrad Hilton, a foreign professor who was sitting with him then said “Sodsai can’t studying anything else but theatre only.” Thus, Assoc. Prof. Sodsai Pantoomkomol decided to pursue her master’s degree in theatre instead and traveled to North Carolina University, USA.