Om nom; thank you, mom
The Students' Outpost met on Sunday for Potruckus, an event that is one part potluck and one part no-holds-barred rant session. For the maiden Potruckus (portmanteaus are cool) meeting, the topic was Hostels and PGs; our aim was to get students to come (with food) and open up to us about their lives away from Amma’s anna-sambar. To put it academically, it was a gathering where young, hostel/PG dwelling students expressed their views and opinions on the current status of their accommodation. To put it honestly, it was a tirade against student housing in Bengaluru.
We expected a smattering of students, maybe a few ex-students, regaling us with tales of their dormitory experience and sharing with us some of their grievances. What we got was infinitely better: nestled in the green vista of Cubbon Park, students let free their words and thoughts, ideas which they had perhaps been forced to keep within themselves for fear of unwanted consequences.
Maybe it was the food that did it (as it turns out, students understand the pain of living away from home and having to survive on Parle-G and Maggi; they clearly wished to offer up as much as they could to their fellow sufferers, and we ended up having quite the feast), or the dogs (sincerest apologies to our not so canine friendly friends), or simply the fact that there were fifteen or so other souls listening and empathising; whatever you say, something about the afternoon encouraged people to talk and share and laugh. We also had a fair bit of fun treating day scholars as second class citizens for once, because, honestly, which day scholar would be brave (or foolish, your pick) enough to step in between a tirade against hostels/PGs?
We heard from students of various different colleges, thus were exposed to various different realities from around the city. While some stories flatly outraged us (curfew at 6:45pm is a thing. Yes, you may now drop your jaw in horror), some showed us rays of hope and a possible goal to work towards (no curfew is also a thing. Yes, you may now drop your jaw in envy). We learnt of various other hostel and PG customs and scenarios, including a rather lively and lengthy discussion on roommates in (and sometimes the cause of) times of trouble. We heard stories of how wonderful it is to have a family away from home; we heard stories of how restrictive student housing can get; we heard stories of how hostels are around the country and abroad. We heard a lot of stories. And ate a lot of food. And then we put some leaves on a sleeping dog.
Perhaps the best part of the afternoon (other than the supremely cooperative weather and the cornucopia of food) was the sense of community that was experienced there on the grass that day, a goal that TSO has been working towards since its conception. We had a sense of belonging. Our problems were not just ours anymore, but something that others related to and could laugh about with us. It was as though the walls of the institutions that keep us apart and confined were no longer relevant (metaphorical walls. The real walls were, of course, not relevant in Cubbon Park).
Join us at the next Potruckus event, where we can assure you a whole lot of food (it’s a potluck. Feed the masses) and a whole lot of ranting (it’s a ruckus. Bring your umbrellas. Also, really bring your umbrellas; Namma Bengaluru tends to rain). Keep your eyes peeled for announcements on the dates and topics of the next one, and keep your Sundays blocked. Feel free to drop suggestions for topics in the comments.
See you soon!
