Monday, November 23, 2009

MEGA EVENTS AT CL ALLD.





CL ALLAHABAD CHARTS NEW TERRITORY IN THE MBA FIRMAMENT!

October & November proved to be the biggest months for CLA because two events were organised on a scale and magnitude, the likes of which Allahabad had not been witness to in recent memory. The first was Vocab-ki-Dhan-te-nan where a cyclone by the name of Akash Gautam hit Hotel Kanhashyam on 29 October. Agreed it was hyped, agreed that there was paucity of space, agreed that all the students could not be accommodated, but agreed too was the fact that it was well worth the effort put in by everyone at CL. Akash came, he saw and he conquered. The jam-packed convention hall (more than 1500 students) was bursting at its seams with expectation, and Akash certainly did not disappoint. With an energy that was breathtaking in its intensity, he swept everyone off their feet. With his now patented style of combining vocabulary with snippets from Bollywood & Hollywood blockbusters and well known advertisements, he managed to convert the dreary and dreaded subject of vocabulary into an exercise of amazing fun and learning. To top it up, he used his cutting sense of humour to devastating effect and brought the house down. The fact that it was not just entertainment (unadulterated-which it was) was borne out long after the event, when the English faculty at CLA found, to their pleasant surprise, that the students retained many of the words they had learned that day. Even at the end of 4 ½ hours, the students wanted more! To sum it up, Vocab-ki-Dhan-te-nan was an undisputed HIT!

The second major event happened on the 13th & 14th of November when 31 B-Schools landed in the Sangam city in a unique Sangam of their own, aptly named MBA Junction. Initiated by Career Launcher H.O. this was an event which was basically meant for those who might miss the IIMs or other top B-Schools but still have the fire for an MBA degree/diploma from a reasonably good B-School. The biggest take-away was the presence of so many stars from the IIM galaxy. The likes of Dr. Ramu Ayer, Mr. Abhilash Lal, Dr. Sudhir Sharan, Dr. Debrata Deb, R Sreenivasan to name just a few graced the stage and enlightened the students (who had braved the unseasonal rains) with their pearls of wisdom. More than 70 delegates from the different B-Schools gave their presentations on the two days. When quizzed about their Allahabad experience they were unequivocal and fulsome in their praise for the organisation and hospitality shown by Team CL Allahabad, which made their Allahabad sojourn most satisfying. The credit for organising and holding these two mega events within one month of each other goes to the entire CL team. Nonetheless, special kudos to Sanjeev, Zishan, Anushree, Shashank, Abhay, Vishal, Sohini, Alok, Ajoy and last but not the least, the livewire CEO of Panacea Mr. Gaurav Agarwal.

The Big CAT is on the prowl from 28th November onwards and the students are understandably jittery. Despite assurances from their mentors in person and on various alternative media like FB & Orkut, the butterflies in the collective stomachs refuse to lie still. IIFT on 22nd has already sprung a surprise by introducing sectional cut-offs. CAT was never predictable and this time it would be online, so double the jitters. Hopefully the students of CLA, fed on a regular diet of online MOCKS and counselled by committed mentors would be in a better frame mind to bell this CAT!