The quality of life in a B-school provides a constant source of fodder to gossip mongers. Rumour mills thrive on outrageous stories of sleep-depriving work schedules, mind-numbing assignments, back-stabbing peers and blood-sucking professors.
Are memories of life at B-school days snapshots from hell or postcards from paradise? This article marks the first of a four part series on life in ISB (covering students, professors, academics and parties) and would aim to explode many of the myths that surround the B-school lifestyle.
The Party Scene
ISB is caught in the grips of a party frenzy at this moment. Term 4 has just started, the exams are a long way off and there is an unexpected respite from projects and submissions. With the weather gods being benevolent, it was partytime this weekend at the campus. In a short span of three days, I attended five parties, and others around me claim to have attended more! The parties in ISB are generally well attended and dignified affairs, keeping in line with the maturity levels of the individuals on campus. Obviously, they also provide the students with a much needed opportunity to let their hair down for some of the craziest and whackiest times on campus. Here is an inside glimpse into the kind of parties ISB has:
Birthday bashes:(Rating **) (The rating is based on how happening the parties are)
An e-mail to all students at precisely ten minutes to midnight, marks the beginning of a birthday bash. The mail draws students in all forms of night-wear to emerge from their retreats and head towards the birthday hosting flat. These parties are marked by cake cutting and smearing, followed by the smearing of anything edible on the face of the birthday boy / girl. Past parties are known to have had instances of smearing of pizza's, pastries, pasta's, maggi, egg, ketchup, namkeens, apple pie’s and even cheeku-shake!! The party then cleans up and proceeds to the swimming pool for a dunking session. The success of the dunking session is measured by the distance the guest of honour is thrown, the number of somersaults taken and also the number of people dunked.
Patrician socials: (Rating ****)
Strictly 'by-invitation-only' parties, these are known for their fine alcohol, a great deal of dancing or just good conversation. Open air barbeque's are the latest trend in these circles. An invitation to these parties is a measure of the social standing of an individual on campus. These parties are held by select groups of individuals on a regular basis, have a good mix of guys and girls and are some of the most happening parties on campus.
Plebian 'baithaks': (Rating ***)
Plebian baithaks are a free for all. Boisterous and disorderly, these parties are notorious for the exchange of the most scandalous gossip on campus, which is generally exaggerated in direct proportion to the drunkeness of the gossip monger. The activities at the other parties often form the basis of many discussions. The lingua franca is Hindi and the conversation is liberally sprinkled with the choiciest of hindi, punjabi, telugu, tamil, bengali and oriya expletives. These are strictly 'men-only'.
'Ghar ka swaad' parties: (Rating ***)
Usually held by the married people on the campus, when pestered by their friends beyond the resistance point. These parties are held in the studio apartments and are marked by the sweet aroma of home-cooked food, light music floating in the air and the sounds of pleasant but curtailed laughter. Entry to the 'Ghar ka Swaad' parties is very restricted and strictly by invitation only. These are by far the most difficult parties to get invited to and the most rewarding also.
School Bashes:(Rating *****)
The Big daddies of the party circuit, these are organised about twice a term for all the students. Held in the mirror pools, these are large affairs, with DJ's from the city, disco lights, fog machines and huge speakers. Attendance is very high and several rare and exotic species of students, sighted only in the habitats of the library are finally seen with liquor in their hands. The dance floor is the most happening place and despite the large size of the mirror pools, these get very crowded. These parties are known for some very interesting (read naughty) themes, which make them even more fun!
Casino reminiscence meets: (Rating ****)
Held by a very select and limited lot of students on campus, these parties usually go on till the early hours of the morning. Very discrete and understated, card meets are known for their ample liquor and heavy snacks. Although the parties start with small stakes, as the night gets along, the stakes get higher. The winners are often spotted treating one and all in the cafeteria on the next day. Blackjack, Baccarat and Poker are extremely popular amongst this very tightly knit set.
Group camaraderie dinners: (Rating **)
These are marked by small groups of individuals going across to Hyderabad to dine in the fine restaurants that the city has to offer. Very private, these dinners are known for the good food and even better conversation. Such dinners are preferred by groups to enhance their team spirit and bonding, which often hits rock bottom after some disastrous group assignments. A lot of students generally not seen in other parties are spotted at these dinners.
Boozard binges:(Rating ***)
Boozard's binges begin without warning, as and when the bacchus worshippers on campus realise that one amongst them is in possession of intoxicating substances, which are not in the nature of cough syrups. Male dominated parties, these go on till the liquor lasts. Generally open houses, there is no invitation extended for these parties. The people blessed with a good nose can smell these from a mile and they dominate these circuits.
Gourmet soirees: (Rating ***)
Held by the connoisseurs of good food, gourmet soirees are held at irregular intervals in certain select flats on campus. These parties are closed door affairs, and have a very favourable sex ratio (generally three gals to a guy). They are well known for ‘theme’ cooking and many an exceptional talents are uncovered during these parties. These parties provide an excellent opportunity for students to impress their loved ones.
Pub Visits: (Rating ****)
A mail to the students from the social events co-ordinator signals an ISB pub party. These are alternately hosted by the pubs of Hyderabad. Marked by Karaoke / special DJ's, these are widely attended by all students. Dancing and boozing are the main activities. Well known for their stress-busting powers, these provide an ideal party for the ISB’ians to paint the town red.
Other assorted parties: (Rating **)
The campus also play’s host to a number of assorted parties including ‘professor-sponsored’ parties, club parties, women's pyjama parties etc. Rare and far between, these parties are kept hush-hush. Entry is restricted and the author confesses that he possesses limited knowledge about these parties.
Singers Meets:(Rating *)
Organised at night in the common area, these go on till very late. Marked by a guitar player, surrounded by a perimeter of enthusiastic chorus singers, old hindi songs still rule the charts here. These are held on a fortnightly basis and are well attended by the singing brigade and members of the lonely hearts club. The lack of talent is often made up by the enthusiasm of the participants. These get-togethers though much appreciated by the music club members, are hated by all others whose sleep is disturbed due to the obvious lack of talent of certain members in the club.
This was a small glimpse of the parties held at ISB. Obviously, these are indicative enough of the extent and the number of parties held, catering to a wide cross-section of people and preferences. However, let this not deceive you into thinking that the b-school world is a world of parties galore. Watch out for the article on academics as part of this series to clear your misconceptions.
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