It finally begins. After the entire weak of orientations with talks running the gamut from soft-skill developments to development in technology helping today’s world, we finally embark upon the year-long voyage through the turbulent seas of ADMA (Advertising & Marketing). Our lectures begin at 4 every evening and as per our schedule, they end at 8.30. Its ok, I’m not complaining. In fact I like the idea of an evening college.
The lectures began with this fabulous lady addressing us (who also happens to be our course coordinator), Mrs. Anita Sharan. The first half of the lecture relating to the history of communication had a fabulous start and it progressed into mind-blowing facts about the evolution of communication over the years but sort of got heavy towards the last 45 minutes. Trust you me, all of us were imagining every possible food item we could order in the half-hour break. I, by the way, was fantasizing about vada-pav and chai!
At 6.30, lecture part-2 began. This time, it was even more interesting. We went into the nuances of digital technology and stuff and the power point got over quite soon. And as such, we were done for the day. But madamji decides to get done with the election of the class representative. This is how providence progresses.
Mam asks people to volunteer and a couple of them who were the willing victims stood to make their ‘pitch’. It was all fun and games and a laugh riot as we kept nominating names and pretty eligible ones at that. But mam then decides to ask me to make my pitch which makes me shit bricks. It was quite unexpected and I had no idea why she did what she did but I played on. Quite frankly, I don’t remember what I said but I know it was to do with my hobbies and it definitely had a word about my passion for networking and my innate quality to pull off good P.R.giri… so I returned to my seat shivering (and I have no idea why, because I never had any sort of stage fright.) maybe because I had to make something up on the spot. I thought of it all as a joke while other members were pulled up and made to repeat the process. I knew the choice would be difficult because the people who were coming up were those with either a work experience or a business of their own. I guess about 10 odd people were ‘made’ to volunteer (including yours truly) and then the voting began. My best hopes were these guys who, as I said earlier, had tremendous work-ex and they were all quite neck-to-neck. When I was pointed at, I was expecting to have the same number of hands or maybe lesser to vote for me. Wonder of wonders… there is this sea of hands that reach the ceiling with a great fervor and I am literally turning red in disbelief (I could feel blood gushing to my face) and I was humbled with a sense of pride. Mam doesn’t even bother counting them hands and I stood there not knowing why there was so much faith in me. It was a lot of mixed feelings taking over then. I was astounded to say the least and I was diving in pride. I was happy and I was also shivering with the sheer load of the responsibility that came on so suddenly. Took a while for me to sort of get over the shock.
What followed was one of the best discussions about propaganda, advertising, brand building, strategies in advertising and reasons why ads work and don’t work. Mam spoke with complete conviction and I for one, wanted to bow my head in prayer and respect to her knowledge and analytical skills in determining what went wrong where and with which brand… what a lady. The class spoke and there were these short arguments, criticisms, difference of opinions and a whole lot of gyan, just floating around. It was a mind-blowing class (if I may put it in the basest of words.)
It was a brilliant day and it was another day that assured me of my belonging. After quitting engineering, I keep looking for these signs to guide me and assure me that I am where I am supposed to be and where I want to be. It is absolutely essential for me (and maybe everyone else) to know that the 3 criteria above are coherent and that they concur perfectly. I am happy as much as I am afraid of goofing-up. The one thing that mam said after class put me a lot at ease. She said, “I knew it that you would be their choice, I was wondering why you did not volunteer yourself”. Just goes to show the trust of an accomplished person in an amateur’s ability to lead. Just the thought of it is a comforter. Thank you Lord for another experience that is still un-arrived.
The lectures began with this fabulous lady addressing us (who also happens to be our course coordinator), Mrs. Anita Sharan. The first half of the lecture relating to the history of communication had a fabulous start and it progressed into mind-blowing facts about the evolution of communication over the years but sort of got heavy towards the last 45 minutes. Trust you me, all of us were imagining every possible food item we could order in the half-hour break. I, by the way, was fantasizing about vada-pav and chai!
At 6.30, lecture part-2 began. This time, it was even more interesting. We went into the nuances of digital technology and stuff and the power point got over quite soon. And as such, we were done for the day. But madamji decides to get done with the election of the class representative. This is how providence progresses.
Mam asks people to volunteer and a couple of them who were the willing victims stood to make their ‘pitch’. It was all fun and games and a laugh riot as we kept nominating names and pretty eligible ones at that. But mam then decides to ask me to make my pitch which makes me shit bricks. It was quite unexpected and I had no idea why she did what she did but I played on. Quite frankly, I don’t remember what I said but I know it was to do with my hobbies and it definitely had a word about my passion for networking and my innate quality to pull off good P.R.giri… so I returned to my seat shivering (and I have no idea why, because I never had any sort of stage fright.) maybe because I had to make something up on the spot. I thought of it all as a joke while other members were pulled up and made to repeat the process. I knew the choice would be difficult because the people who were coming up were those with either a work experience or a business of their own. I guess about 10 odd people were ‘made’ to volunteer (including yours truly) and then the voting began. My best hopes were these guys who, as I said earlier, had tremendous work-ex and they were all quite neck-to-neck. When I was pointed at, I was expecting to have the same number of hands or maybe lesser to vote for me. Wonder of wonders… there is this sea of hands that reach the ceiling with a great fervor and I am literally turning red in disbelief (I could feel blood gushing to my face) and I was humbled with a sense of pride. Mam doesn’t even bother counting them hands and I stood there not knowing why there was so much faith in me. It was a lot of mixed feelings taking over then. I was astounded to say the least and I was diving in pride. I was happy and I was also shivering with the sheer load of the responsibility that came on so suddenly. Took a while for me to sort of get over the shock.
What followed was one of the best discussions about propaganda, advertising, brand building, strategies in advertising and reasons why ads work and don’t work. Mam spoke with complete conviction and I for one, wanted to bow my head in prayer and respect to her knowledge and analytical skills in determining what went wrong where and with which brand… what a lady. The class spoke and there were these short arguments, criticisms, difference of opinions and a whole lot of gyan, just floating around. It was a mind-blowing class (if I may put it in the basest of words.)
It was a brilliant day and it was another day that assured me of my belonging. After quitting engineering, I keep looking for these signs to guide me and assure me that I am where I am supposed to be and where I want to be. It is absolutely essential for me (and maybe everyone else) to know that the 3 criteria above are coherent and that they concur perfectly. I am happy as much as I am afraid of goofing-up. The one thing that mam said after class put me a lot at ease. She said, “I knew it that you would be their choice, I was wondering why you did not volunteer yourself”. Just goes to show the trust of an accomplished person in an amateur’s ability to lead. Just the thought of it is a comforter. Thank you Lord for another experience that is still un-arrived.
3 comments:
netaji Raskit Doshi
Zindabad!
u be da best....and u be do job good....all da bestest BEST gwouch!
Hey Rakshit
i am glad U R THE ONE MAN!!!!
Post a Comment