Week 18 - T-Nite: the cultural Olympics

Week 18! The first three days of the week had a few classes, but I’m pretty sure none of us were fully present in them. Reason: what was coming in the later half of the week: T-Nite, the cultural Olympics of IIMA.

T-Nite is where all 7 sections of IIMA (5 PGP and 2 PGPX) compete across a wide range of cultural events like music, dance, painting, stand-up comedy, drama, fashion show, and more.

Our section, Section B of PGPX, went by the name Be Exponential for T-Nite. With participation being low initially, the preparation phase wasn’t very encouraging. However, as the days went by and the event drew closer, the energy picked up. Participation increased, enthusiasm grew, and slowly the section started coming together.

In some way or the other, I ended up being involved in almost all the competitions. But my primary focus was on the Section Anthem and being part of the music band. I played percussion in both.

The competitions officially kicked off on Friday, 22nd August, with events like Matkifod and Fastest Section First. I was part of the team representing our section in Fastest Section First.

Saturday, 23rd August, marked the real beginning of T-Nite. Each section had to make a procession from the dorm area to the Old Campus, performing their unique entry act. Section A of PGPX, named Xarathos, absolutely nailed their entry. Everyone was dressed as iconic villains, and they wrapped it up with a powerful Haka performance, staying perfectly aligned with their anti-hero theme.

These two days were packed with cultural events. A few performed on stage, but everyone cheered from the sidelines. Special rewards were given for Enthu Points, essentially to the section that cheered the loudest. And by Sunday evening, the aftermath of T-Nite was very evident. Most of us had lost our voices and were communicating largely through sign language after destroying our throats cheering for the section.

Amidst all the competition and rivalry, I noticed something beautiful. Despite fighting against each other on paper, everyone stood up and cheered just as loudly for their friends from other sections when they performed. That, to me, says a lot about the kind of camaraderie our cohort of 157 has built.

Sunday night, 24th August, marked the end of T-Nite. Both PGPX sections celebrated the success of the event with an impromptu dhol session, which was eventually shut down by the security. And as much as I hate to admit this… I have to say it – Xarathos performed slightly better than Be Exponential at T-Nite.

This blog barely scratches the surface of what T-Nite truly was. It probably deserves a blog of its own, one that captures every day, every event, and every moment in detail. But if I had to wrap it all up in one line: T-Nite ended with tired legs and lost voices, but it left us with stories we’ll probably keep telling long after this year is over