Every year students from all over the country make their way to MICA, having successfully tackled the multiple rounds of screening that the admissions team makes sure they undergo. These new faces – expectant and excited, armed with bags – look around at the other new faces hoping to find a home within the walls of the hostels. Sure enough, every year, like clockwork, these unfamiliar faces become friends, guides, lovers, and even partners in crime.
That’s MICA, home to around 3000 trees spread across the campus and a diverse range of wildlife swinging about on the branches. Amongst the ample greenery stands the hostels of PGP, whispering legacies that haunt every nook and cranny of the place. Named after trees that once stood in their places – these hostels are hubs of activity and life. Sometimes fiercely engaged in competition and sometimes standing hand in hand in solidarity, they are at the core of the MICAn experience. Students share rooms in the first year and are given single rooms in the second year where they unleash their creativity on the walls of what is initially a tiny, nondescript room.
Another important facet of the community at MICA is Sunday dinners. The mess, which regularly dishes out an array of delectable cuisines, goes the extra mile on Sundays to please the non-vegetarians in the batches. The whiff of the special feast draws students and teachers alike to the mess where they sit together, discussing the latest happenings in the world and in the classroom, while finishing off their meals with ice-cream. When the mess workers aren’t delighting MICAns with their culinary skills, they take on the batches on the sports field. Fueled by a spirit of community and competition, they often team up with their friends from the 24×7 Canteen “Chhota” to play friendly matches with the boys from the PGP batches.
MICAns regularly engage in community gatherings like ‘Unplugged musical nights’ and ‘open-air cookouts’ organized by internal student-run committees. These gatherings not only bring out hidden talents but also provide a space for the free flow of ideas and conversation. Recently the college witnessed Micanvas, a 3-day extravaganza where teams from across the country arrived on campus to take part in the various competitions lined up for them. Between the competitions and panel discussions, MICAns also made time for fun by organising the first camping-out session. As tradition goes, the students of the first year vacate their hostels to accomodate participants. This year the organizing committee of Micanvas decided to give the temporarily homeless students refuge under the stars by setting up MiCamp on the cricket field, with tents and mattresses. A bonfire and Open Mic session followed, where students interacted with each other and filled up on grilled delicacies.
Apart from the everyday facets of community living at MICA, we also have special occasions strewn across the year. MICA celebrates every festival with equal vigour, be it Eid or Christmas. The Cultural Committee at MICA ensures that the students, faculty, staff and admin come together for the crucial moments of togetherness. Other committees too, take it upon themselves to facilitate student interaction and set up collaborations through their interesting events and contests.
Throughout the year, we are either caught up in our hectic academic schedules or taking part in competitions, but being at MICA adds a third aspect to the B-school life – One that is our own and that we share with our student community.
