Part 2 – “Love at first sight: visiting MICA for GE/PI”

Read Part-1 of this series here

After getting done with our GE, we were instructed to assemble in the Auditorium. We were supposed to sit there and wait for further process. The Auditorium, or Audi as it is called, is situated in the main office block, behind reception. Office block is the central located building and its main entrance overlooks the lush green and much beloved Football ground. This ground is multipurpose and is used for many gatherings, parties, official dinners, celebrations, Dandiya nights and convocation ceremonies etc. The office block is a very interestingly constructed building. Looking at it from outside, it’s almost impossible to get that it’s a two-storey building; instead it looks like single-storied. Even more difficult is to imagine that it also houses the amazing Audi.
Audi is one of the most loved, frequented and alive places on the campus. One spends a lot of time in this Audi during the 2 years stay at MICA. The interiors of this Audi are very quirky and colorful. There are 4 entrances to the Audi, 2 in the front and 2 in the back.
I, along with some of the friends from our Facebook group, entered Audi and we were in for a visual treat. There is this charming and beautiful hall in front of us, enough to house some 250 people easily. The seating arrangements are in form of steps, much like a stadium. On the left or right side of front entrance, depending upon which one you choose, is the center stage. It’s a small stage with marble flooring and white backgrounds. This is a clever setting because a lot of things could be done with white backgrounds based on different occasions. There was a podium in one corner of stage and 4 separate entrances for the stage on both the corners. 2 entrances lead into 2 small cabins, one of them serves as the control room for all the audio-visual equipment and the other one serves as a mini-store. The other 2 entrances for the stage are in form of small steps leading the audience area. That day, I didn’t know that I’ll perform on that stage for many times in coming 2 years and will create a lot of amazing memories right there.
All the walls and floor of Audi are with red hues which gives it an energetic feel. On both the left and right walls, there are huge wall-hangings, like flags. They are hung from top to bottom and are very brightly colored. These are also used for very interesting creatives during various celebrations and gatherings.

Me after last of class of my MBA

The most distinguished part of the Audi, is its seating arrangement. There are no chairs, benches or seats. As we mentioned, it was in form of steps. There were these multicolored, round, fluffy cushions scattered everywhere in that Audi. One needs to use those cushions for seating. If you sit while resting your back, you are almost lying down, which is very comfortable. Use of those cushions is an amazingly simple yet very effective idea for seating. It is specially useful when one needs to spend long hours sitting there, which happens very often at MICA. Also, it gives an ample amount of space to house more people comfortable, which is very difficult to do with chairs.
We sat their comfortable and started making small talks with each other. We were helping each other, trying to keep calm and stay confident. At such pressure times, a little distraction is good as it saves is from the overwhelming pressure of the situation like an interview.
After sometime, I got to know that PIs were starting soon. Since I was in Group-1, we would have our PIs first. Chances were I would have my PI before the lunch hours as I was given number 5 in Group-1. I felt, sooner the better. I was also happy that if I get free early, I would be able explore and enjoy this beautiful campus more, before we leave for the day.
I was called for my PI at around 12.30. The moment of truth was finally here. I was led in a small classroom, CR-2, on the opposite side of reception area in the same block. I was asked to wait for few minutes while they go through my profile and SOP (statement of purpose) etc. There were 2 gentlemen sitting near the door when I entered. Both of them were middle-aged and had casual demeanor. One of them was sporting a small pigtail and introduced himself as some official from the office of Mudra Group. The other person was also there during our GE and was a faculty at MICA. I was offered a comfortable revolving chair facing them and some water.
The interview went better than my expectations and I was left with a sense of relief. It was mostly a set of pretty interesting conversations. Another gentleman joined the panel after the sometime but it went on smoothly. They tried to build some pressure halfway through with cross-questioning etc. I left the panel feeling good but still unsure of the results. This is the feel you get when you face a smart interview panel. They make you comfortable to think that everything is going well and then they also tease your mind enough to wonder if you’re quiet there. I liked that lingering feeling as it made me look forward to the results.
By the time, I came out of CR-2, it was lunch hour. I joined the group of my new friends and we headed towards the mess for the lunch.

To be continued….

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