An Introduction to Spandan Part 3

Aug 30-Sep 3, 1993

Spandan

The "In-Your-Face" Committees

1. Cultural (Les Beaux Arts or Lesbo Arts)

The Cultural Commitee, known locally simply as "Cul", along with the Literary and Debating (aka L*ND Committee) is the most visible part of Jipmer and it's backbone. 

Cul does all the evening competitions and there are a lot of them. Every evening, when staggering back from a Transport day, the sounds I hear well into the night emanate from the various competitions Cul has organized. A very tight schedule is posted up every day starting from about 5 PM and going on well into the night, and on one day, when I get up for yet another weightlifting session Naren has planned, I hear the sounds of Cul still going on from the previous evening's competition  By this time, with the Sun well over the horizon and the heat of Pondy well on it's way, the only people in Lister Square are the competition entrants-singing away, the judges-tired, cranky and trying to look interested, the Tech Team desperately trying to keep things under control and 20 baby juniors known as the Transport Commitee, getting ready for another battle.

There is Music-Indian and Western, group and solo, acoustic and instrumental, there is Choreography (or dance, in simple terms)-again Indian and Western, group and solo, skits, Ad-Zaps  and mimicry. The list goes on and on. 

The whole event takes place on an expanded stage in  Lister Square. The judges, usually serious looking wannabe rockers sit tight in the Technical Hut getting fawned over by the Cul and Tech Commitee members. The Tech and Cul ego's get a massive misplaced boost as they think they're close to these wannabe rockers and I hear accents suddenly change, looks suddenly becoming cool and otherwise normal people developing major attitudes as they approach the Tech Hut. 

The sound system-many huge speakers, and all manner of equipment is supplied by Reynolds, and it's supposedly cool to be seen chatting to Mike Reynolds. 

2. L&D (Les Litteraires) 

L&D (Literary and Debating) is similar to Cul in it's importance but it does all of it's eventing in the confines of the AirCon lecture Halls, a 10 minute walk away from Lister Square. They occupy the morning-5 PM slots. Some of what they do includes debates, creative writing, JAM (Just A Minute) etc. L&D is serious, cerebral stuff and is headed by serious cerebral people. 

I see people and teams doing mock debates, checking up writing topics etc or trying to put up funny but smart stuff on the "Wall Mag"-a poster sized sheet stuck on the wall outside the Mess and updated every day with the previous day's events and results, some funny stuff, cartoons and spoofs of Cul events and fun quizzes. I always stop to read it to and from the van or the dog van, which is all that I seem to be doing.

Teams practice for hours to win and it should be fun to see but the only problem is that the walk from the Hostel to the Lecture Halls is just a bit longer than comfortable and there is no time. 

But while L&D and Cul take care of the Entertainment, there is a set of people who are either too busy drinking, recovering from hangovers, just lazing around or waiting for Cul to start. They are too lazy to go see L&D or just not interested. There are aimless guys at the food stalls and some jobless ones ogling at the Reception girls in AC comfort. These guys need to be entertained too. 

And the Informals Committee-also populated by hungover,lazy bums, is designed for just that.

3. Informals

This Committee is everywhere and nowhere. There is no Centre from which things happen. There is no fixed venue but things are focussed in the area in front of Reception and anything can happen at any time. The Committee members are made up of people who want to "freak out" but not in a structured Committee. They are not answerable to anyone.  They are the "Cool guys".

4. Catering 

When one attends Spandan, care is taken that one does not go hungry. The mess in Lister House has been handed over to this fancy sounding Committee and they manage to convert a functional but drab area into a regular non-stop food- cum- party zone. Catering takes its job very seriously and is generally populated by some rather nice looking people. The sex ratio in this Committee is overwhelmingly in the girls favour making the mess a very popular place to hang out.

For those fed up with informals and formals, the mess therefore becomes an alternative source of entertainment.

The transformation that the mess has undergone is nothing short of radical. It is no longer a mess. 

The mess gets a new name which is stuck with thermocol on the outside and has a big "Welcome" sign. Apparently, a lot of thought goes into what that year's mess will be called and how it should be designed before putting it up on the wall.  There are table cloths and curtains, nice plates and proper cups. I make my way daily for Breakfast, lunch and dinner, reading the menu posted on the door and wondering why this can't be the usual state of affairs. A plate is put before me by a very nice looking senior who actually smiles at me and spoils the moment briefly by asking which Committee I am in. I am served by members of the Committee, many of whom are seniors who wouldn't take a minute to rag me under normal circumstances.

But the Catering Committee only does the Catering. The food that they serve is decided by the Food Commitee. 

5. Food Commitee

This is complementary to Catering. While Catering caters, the Food Committee has the important task of deciding what should be catered. A lot of planning goes into the menu for the day, it being vitally important that the Breakfasts, Lunches and Dinners vary just enough but not so much as to be impossible to actually make. 

There is Dosa/Idli, Bread and Jam and Omelettes for Breakfast and Rice, Sambhar/Dal, Veges, Chicken for lunch and dinner. This is food that I crave for when I go there daily-a change from the prison rations of the rest of the 51 weeks of the year. 

The Committee also puts all of this up as a "menu" outside the mess so people can decide if they REALLY want to eat there. Owing mainly to size, I am told that I was considered for Food but was turned down because of fear the food might get over.

My first impression was that the Organizing batch had some rather good looking Curie House inhabitants. I meet Mishra there quite often.

6. Entertainment and JAM

In the meantime, the mess in Osler House has not been ignored. Every night by 8 PM, it becomes a dance floor, a place to Jam. (NOT Just a Minute). A semi-professional or professional DJ has been  hired (this depends on the Spandan budget), strobe lights are placed  and the music is so good. Rock and metal dominate. It's my kind of music and it's a place to get smashed and dance away, if I could of course.

 The "dancing" is more often a kind of random, high speed super jerky series of movements synchronized to the music. Lots of headbanging, lots of beer bottles and lots of people crashing into each other. "Sweet Child  of Mine" is a perennial favourite, the opening riffs being perfect for heavy duty headbanging complete with air guitaring and flying hair. I do go there sometimes, after dinner and just stand outside trying to feel the atmosphere but feeling a bit out of place among all the seniors and all the delegates they seem to be on first name basis with.

People "dance" for a bit, come out for air and booze refills and are back in again. Some have unique styles. I see Shom dancing in one place, eyes shut and jerkily swaying from side to side. Joy is doing hand loops while swaying from side to side. 

Sometimes I'm called in with drunk shouts of "Oye Junior, get your a** in here", or "Abe (a-bay) saale, what the f**k are you doing outside" but I'm more comfortable just soaking it all in. 

The Jam is conducted daily except for the last day and continues till either the last "dancer" or the DJ have passed out in an alcohol induced coma. Apart from Sports, L&D and Cul, the Jam goes a long way in the success of a Spandan and a lot of work goes into planning a good Jam

It's a popular Committee to be in.

7. Decoration

They decorate. Everything. Full stop. 

8.  Sports / Tournament

The defining feature of this Committee is the EGO. Sports are a huge part of Spandan and for many, it's the only reason they are here. I am told that before the full blown festival I am witnessing, Spandan was just an Inter-Medical Sports meet. Sports is where it all started.

The responsibilities here are tremendous. Scheduling events, juggling schedules, massaging egos, ensuring impartiality in judging (Home bias is a frequent accusation), getting outside judges and praying for the rain to go away. There is hockey, football and basketball-the heavy duty events. There is badminton and table tennis-lighter in weight but taken as seriously by the players.

One unique feature of this Committee is the Sports Council. Comprised of select senior members and a member of the faculty, the Council is a no-go zone for anyone else. They have a dedicated table in Reception and they take all the major decisions regarding everything connected to Sports. Their decisions are final and uniformly respected. The faculty member's main role is Ego Massage.

The football team goalkeeper is a tall, smooth talking tallish guy 2 years my senior. He is also a major part of the Basketball team. This is interesting because when he's not practicing or playing or boozing, he's doing heavy duty reading. He's got the style, the accent, the talent and the girls. And he's near the top of his class also. I'm envious. Manish-from Shimla during ragging (and hence protected by the HSA) but from Bombay ever since is my role model for a while.

This might sound like intense fun but for a Baby junior it's a living nightmare. I hear stories from fellow babies and am slightly grateful I'm not in this one.

Life in Tournament Commitee as a baby junior:

This Commitee is responsible for the smooth running of the sports part of Spandan. It is also responsible for the smoothness of the grounds on which the Sports are played. And, as an added extra, some babies are deputed to wake up the Jipmer players from wherever they have crashed and remind them to get ready for matches.

So, at 6 AM, this happens: 

After a previously sleepless night, the baby knocks on the door where a senior is currently crashing. After 10 minutes of hesitant knocking, the door opens.

Baby: "Sorry sir, its 6 AM. You have a match"

Senior:"I know bast***, get out"

A few minutes pass. The scene is repeated.

At 630 AM, a senior comes.

Senior 2 to Baby: "Bast***, why is he not up yet?

Baby splutters.

Senior 2 bangs the door. Senior 1 comes out and shouts to Baby "Bast*** why didn't you wake me up earlier? I'll see you after the match."

And the two seniors strut off looking important while the Baby cowers in fear. 

Baby does this many times in the day.

Being a coastal town, Pondicherry gets rain on occassion. So do the Basketball court, the Volleyball court and the huge red mud covered Field. After every rain shower, the babies rake up the leaves and roll the rollers all over the ground. Manual picking of leaves is also part of the job description. So is mopping of water, sometimes with buckets. When I hear all this, Transport starts to sounds quite good.

Babies also change scores in matches. In Basketball, this is frequent  and a "responsibility". 

Ashley has this job throughout Spandan. The job comes with perks like ringside views and free ogles at the girls. Occasionally, he gets distracted and forgets the score but apart from this minor hitch, Ashley is having a great Spandan.

....to be continued