This year, I had the privilege of having the experience of directing IVDC 2023. Was it an easy responsibility? No. But did it help me grow and develop as a person? Again, no. And yet, still, was it worth it? Yet again, no. I am glad it’s over (almost). I don’t think I can survive the entire ordeal again. However, IV helped me understand myself better. Before IV, I never knew I hated being an organisational head, making decisions, or being the designated problem solver. IV did help me make some unexpected friends and develop even more unexpected enmities. I didn’t know I had it in me to have simultaneous beef with so many people, including a selected few members from the OC, volunteers and the participants (yes, BTU, I’m talking about you). If you have had any conversations with me regarding IV, you must be familiar with the IV rants that I deliver like sermons.
IV also made me realize the administrative fragility of the institution. Let me provide a little context. It was 30 minutes before the first debating rounds started, and we had just had a very late realisation that we were short on two debating rooms. While we were in the midst of deciding how to pull rooms out of our asses, I got a call from the administration. I was called into a certain office and was asked, “Did you allow a boy and a girl to stay together?.” Took me a few minutes to register that the question was in context to the accommodation we provided for the debate, where the teams could choose to either stay with the gender of their preference or their institutions. This combination resulted in a contingent’s mother calling the OC, then Akanksha Ma’am and finally the administration to complain about the living situation. And so, I was given a 15-minute deadline to rearrange accommodation for close to 350 people staying at three different places. After an hour of panicking along with the accomodation team and drafting a mail that was so cold and passive-aggressive, it felt like nuclear winter, all the while arranging for rooms with the clock mercilessly ticking faster and faster, I was called into the office again. This time, Iwas told there was no need to make any changes. I was told, “You know yaar parents kaise ho tehai (you know how parents are)”. The east wall of the office, which was closest to my head, looked really tempting at that particular moment.
Yet another incident occurred at 3 a.m. on Day 2 when a team called me to inform me about a certain ant infestation, so I began my trek from GH 7 to the CC. Upon reaching, Aditi and I went on to inspect the said infestation. While we didn’t find any ants, or their “dead bodies”, as the team called it, we came across the 8 guys from that team who were higher than the moon at that moment. They refused to accept the fact that there weren’t, in fact, any ants anywhere and were in the mood of arguing. I had to resist the urge to test the practical applications of the NDPS Act on them, but I let it go.
These are just two incidents of the many incidents that took place. Way too many, actually. But in the midst of all the crises that came with 15-minute deadlines, I am very grateful to those who helped me. No matter what, I cannot appreciate the OC and the volunteers enough. Also, an exceptional role was played by my friends, who showed up not because they were interested in debating or in IV but solely for me. Ranvez, Nikitha, Aditi, Chetan, Gargi, Yogita- I can never thank you guys enough.
And with that, I pronounce NALSAR IVDC 2023 to be officially concluded.
-Mahira Gupta