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From Ads and Ventures to Adventures: The IIM way Think of the IIMs and the image that one conjures up is of wannabe business executives, rushing from library to lecture room, books in hand and head bowed deep in thought. Now, think of the same persons draped in sports gear, muscling their way through dense foliage and steep mountain tracks. Hard to reconcile? Well, no longer. Because, IIMC can now boast of its very own Adventure Club launched with the idea of promoting the spirit of adventure and discovery amongst the students of the institute. The increasingly sedentary nature of management jobs and the hectic 24 x 7 schedules, means that by the time one is 30 years old, fitness levels droop alarmingly and this is not helped by the fact that most of the time in the job involves being cooped up in tiny cubicles hunched in front of computer consoles. The result of all this is extreme levels of stress and growing instances of burnout. To avoid this one needs to take time out on a regular basis, try and reconnect with nature in a manner which refreshes one physically as well as mentally. In view of this, the Adventure club will conduct regular courses such as basic commando training, rock climbing, white water rafting and many others. The central idea being to get students of the institute out into the open and to learn to enjoy nature at her pristine best and in the process get themselves much needed exercise and relaxation. The Adventure Club owes its genesis to the idea of some students to have some such body to fill what was otherwise a sorely felt need amongst the students; a move which received widespread support from students and also from the professors of the institute. The Adventure Club was formally launched last week and the occasion was graced by none other than Ms. Bachendri Pal of Mt. Everest fame. Ms. Pal flagged off a 5 KM race for men, those finishing in the top 25 being granted membership to the Adventure Club. After congratulating the winners at the finishing post, Ms. Pal spoke about the importance of teamwork and how her success in climbing Mt. Everest was more a result of the camaraderie and cooperation in her team than her individual effort. She went on to draw an analogy between scaling a mountain and succeeding in ones daily life and how factors driving success in each are very similar. Ms. Pal expressed her happiness that despite the rigorous academic schedule of the students at IIMC, they had shown enthusiasm not only to participate in the race but also in the various activities that the Adventure Club plans to hold during the rest of the year. She was optimistic that the club would go from strength to strength and that the students would begin to enjoy the benefits of such extra-curricular activities very soon. The Adventure Club has many activities planned for the rest of the year. These include weekend courses in Commando Training, Advanced Rock Climbing training, Yoga classes and many others. Apart from the plethora of two and three day trips that the Adventure Club has on its agenda, it also plans to get a team of 15-20 students from IIMC to Mt. Everest base camp. With this end in mind, the activities of the club are directed towards building the fitness levels and other skills that one needs to have to survive and adapt to the testing conditions that one would face. In the very first week of its inception, 30 members of the adventure club attended a water sports course at Dimna Lake with the help of the Tata Steel Adventure Foundation. The water sports course was followed by a trek up the Dimna hill. The three-day course saw the students learn the nuances of trekking, kayaking and participate in team building exercises. Contributed by: - |
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