Hangouts
They are in Kovalam. So how can they not mention the beach? A shelter overlooking the beach is where they gather and have snacks and soft drinks from an eatery nearby. Actually there is a problem of plenty when it comes to hangouts within the campus. A car park appears to be on everybody’s list. “Although there aren’t enough places to sit, we don’t mind standing and chatting. We all love this space,” says Rejin Maria Antony, a final year student of the college.
For Bharath Mandu from Hyderabad, another final year student, the lobby on the ground floor is a favourite place to catch up with friends. Bijith S., his batchmate, tells us about a cafeteria where many students like to hang out. For the hostellers, the hostel terrace is a happy place to be, says Shreyas Shettigar from Mumbai, a second year student. His batchmate, Sujan S. from Bengaluru agrees and suggests another place: the entrance to the new building coming up on the campus. Sanjay P. Menon, a final year student, has the group in splits when he says that many enjoy sitting in the library so that they can be in the air-conditioned room for sometime!
What’s trending
The fact that there are 30 girls in the new batch that joined last month is a hot topic on the campus. “The number of girls in each batch rarely crosses 10,” say Gauri Nair and Shabana Mohammed, both final year students. Campus placements is another matter of importance for the final years. “We have group discussions, mock interviews and presentations prior to that,” says Avinash V. Nair. The second year students are now busy preparing for the annual theme dinner scheduled for next month. Every year the second years whip up an elaborate buffet spread for the college and the public. “We have shortlisted a few themes, Olympics is one. There will be cultural events as well,” say Midhun P. S. and Lenin Vinoji. They also talk about the second year students who are having their industrial training at various hotels across the country. Meanwhile they have also started planning for Onam, although the festival is a month away. There will be competitions among the four houses – Hawks, Eagles, Falcons and Swifts. Independence Day is celebrated with fervour, they say. As is the custom, there will be flag hoisting, a special assembly and breakfast for every one.
In conversations
Pokemon Go is a trending topic. “It’s your choice to play it or not and the controversy surrounding the app is unwarranted,” says Sujan. Ivan Andrew Thomas, a second year student, says: “Thanks to the game, I have started walking!” The exorbitant fat tax imposed on junk food is another subject they all have been discussing. Some of the girls in the final year had carried out a survey to find out whether this has affected the sales in fast food outlets in the city. The students also keep a tab on the Olympics and India’s medal chances.
While Onkar Zade from Maharashtra, a second year student, tells us that many of them ponder over about the problems in Kashmir, Vishnu Mohan of the same batch says that ISIS finding a foothold in Kerala is a serious subject they debate upon.
Brexit, the new Google android Nougat 7.0, ‘No helmet, no petrol’ rule, Good and Services Taxes (GST) bill, American elections...the students seem to be keen followers of current events.
That’s entertainment
Movies is right up there on the list as none of them miss out on latest releases. Superstars rule the roost as there is a huge fan following for both Mammootty and Mohanlal, says Avinash. Kollywood stars such as Vijay and Surya too have their fans on the campus. Snehendu Mridha from Kolkata, a huge fan of Akshay Kumar, can’t wait for the release of Rustom . The students take short trips on weekends and holidays. They have explored Ponmudi, Kanyakumari, Bonacaud, Vizhinjam, Anchuthengu, the beaches...
Pet peeves
The girls are worried about the attitude of society. “They often make unsavoury remarks about what we wear. Some of them are irked when they see boys and girls together. They are narrow-minded and judgmental about the students of this college,” say Anjana S.K. and her friends Gauri, Shabana and Rejin. They also want the college to relax time restrictions regarding the number of hours they can spent outside the campus on weekends. “We can be outside for five hours, whereas that doesn’t apply to boys,” they say in unison.
Most students complain about lack of public transport to the area, especially in the evening. While some are unhappy that there aren’t enough shopping options in the area and many shops in the city don’t open on Sundays, some complain about poor traffic regulations. A few of them observe that they should be given opportunities to take part in inter-college arts and cultural festivals. Uninterrupted Wi-fi network on the campus and night life in the city are also in their wish list.
(A monthly column on views from the campus)
