By Nishat Anjum
It was an unusual day at IIMC Campus. The slippers have turned into shoes, t-shirts replaced by shirts. It was 9 am and most students are ready to leave the campus, after all, it’s been a month of regular classes. But as they say, something doesn’t change easily. Girls from English Journalism are yet once again running late.
Minibus waiting at the entrance of the institute. 27 students don’t seem much on campus, but ofcourse, the bus had to fall short to accommodate everyone. Two students couldn’t get a seat. Then the Indian instinct kicked in, and everyone ‘adjusted’ a bit. The journey to the firstdestination ‘Mangalam Educational Institutions’ starts.
It’s a bright sunny day and the group reached the destination in approximately 45 minutes. With Malayalam and Hindi songs played in the background, the journey seemed shorter. Mangalam Campus spread over 45 acres with 11 educational institutes, didn’t have much hustle-bustle, as post-Covid restrictions are lifting up, students are yet to attend in full swing. Greeted by Mr Prakash Thomas Mathew, CEO of Mangalam Educational Institutions, the group headed to the canteen.
After having morning tea with vadas, and a brief introduction to Mangalam Group, students headed towards Radio Mangalam. It’s a community radio set up by Mangalam Group. It along with the Media Mangalam website is operated from this campus. It’s the first time for many students to see an actual radio station.
From the glass walls filled with Silica gel to Production Control Room, students were intrigued with the working of these setups. Students had the chance to see a demo from the studio. Digi-prompter, video and audio mixer, which were just names till a few days back, were now in front of their eyes. As they spent significant time getting familiar with the devices and working, their stomachs started to growl a bit. The memory of the mess food getting stronger with every minute now. Either faculty experienced the same or they sympathized with students, and the visit to the Mangalam campus came to end with a group photo with Dr Biju Varghese, Chairman, Mangalam Educational Institutions.
As everyone reaches IIMC Campus back, the pace of the walk toward the food mess increased exponentially. Some went to the room to freshen up, some just directly dived into food. The normal food seemed a bit better today, hunger does wonder to people. With the finishing of lunch, the second destination was calling.
Kerala weather had started to show its magic. It was no longer sunny. The clouds started to cover the blue skies and pleasant wind start to blow. Group reached the architecturally claimed campus of the K.R. Narayanan National Institute of Visual Science and Arts. It’s a lush green campus, which was recently recognized for its eco-friendly structure. The buildings left the students amazed. None of them was square and rectangular. Even though no one in the group is an expert in architecture, but the circulation of wind keeping the temperature bearable was much appreciated.
Kerala keeping its image true, started to pour soon after reaching the campus. Students went to all six departments of the institute one by one. From acting to production to the sound room, every aspect of film and visual arts opened a new door. With cameras, indoor sets, and projectors that cost lakhs, it was natural for students to start comparing journalism and filmmaking. The Mangalam campus now in comparison seemed like a poor man’s haven. The two institutions
couldn’t be more different from each other.
It seemed like rain was planned according to the visit schedule. It stopped raining as soon the students covered all six departments. It would have been unfair if a group photo was not clicked on this beautiful campus. So with a group photo, students bid adieu to the institute.
One would assume that after a long day of travelling and walking, these students would be lethargic. But they weren’t anywhere near it. On the way back, they danced to music with all their energy. The bus that seemed small to seat everyone suddenly had enough space for the group to even dance. Without a care in the world, rhythm got them grooving. An industrial visit from places that were worlds apart came to an end, with students coming back to their own
world.
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