College life has so many aspects to it. There’s the academic part, and then there’s the extra-curricular activities. However, I feel that the essence of a college’s spirit can be defined by the student organizations it fosters. These student clubs are a melting pot for the most talented minds on the campus. Here, I got an opportunity to understand the creative perspective of extremely diverse individuals. The student clubs of course facilitated the process of bringing these creative ideas together, and that’s when I felt like I was a part of a gigantic creative potpourri. It was surreal. Meeting new people who looked at the world in a completely different light.
I have always had a fascination for organizing events, and so when I first came to Manipal, I didn’t expect to find many opportunities. But boy was I wrong! Creativity and imagination are more than welcome here! So in no time, I got the platform to showcase what I can do. I got an opportunity to host large scale talks, seminars and workshops. Something a student couldn’t even imagine!
The Think Tank, which is a student club with a mix of eclectic minds dedicated to innovation and knowledge, was the first club that I joined. Being a part of the club gave me various insights into the dynamics of event management. I was also given the opportunity to be on the organizing committee of an independently organized TED talk, a TEDX, and was allowed to host various workshops that were conducted by popular speakers and experts.
The fun didn’t end there! Since the options I could choose from were so amazingly diverse, I also got to be a part of Dramanon Manipal, an independent theatre company that has been ranked the 8th best production house in the country! I learnt a lot about theatre, backstage work and drama. In short, I was adding to my repertoire of knowledge immensely. I never imagined ‘learning’ could be SO much fun!
The great thing about a potpourri is that it has some really unique elements. The Psych Club was one such unique element! It consisted of a small group of individuals who were dedicated to learning various aspects of human behaviour and psychology. I was psyched – in a fun way of course 😉
Also, the diversity we experienced wasn’t just inside the college! To get a feel of the outside world, I also got opportunities to participate in many inter-college fests through these clubs. The coolest part was travelling across the country to showcase my talents.
Of course, to add another flavour, an important one at that, there were the technical and coding clubs which helped me apply my theoretical knowledge to practical life. So I had fun, and won at academia too!
Similarly, I had the options to explore other clubs related to fields like fashion, photography, social service, drama, writing and adventure.
All in all, the knowledge and experience that I gained by simply joining the various Manipal clubs were just priceless! I walked into Manipal as a student but left as Event Manager, Actor, Speaker, Behaviourist and last but not the least – a better human being.
