Inside the Moral Kiosk

Inspired over the classic R.E.M hit - Inside the Moral Kiosk

A school for engineers and architects like ours is often times looked at with a pinch of scepticism. Outsiders who aren't familiar with this field of study tend to perceive engineering as one of three things:

a) Opening up the bonnet of a car and staring into the jumble of blocks of metals and wires.
b) Erecting the next longest bridge/ tallest building.
c) Staring at a computer screen typing out characters in a code language inside a glass and steel building.

Classically, we have been looked at as a group of people who can think logically and can tear down any complex problem like Dhoni stepping out to bat in a 20-20 match. And as students of a T-school like NIT-H, it wouldn't be surprising to think that we have 2 left halves of our brains. While some of the above said is true, a lot remains unsaid or falsely assumed. And this is where it be can shown that an A-grader in Circuit Theory can be a good dancer as well.

As an example, we consider the case of three students from the Mechanical Engineering Department. We call them Alpha, Beta and Gamma respectively. Alpha topped his branch in the first year which facilitated him to slide to a branch of his choice. His favourite subject is Thermodynamics and can solve 3rd degree D.Es with ease. Beta is the design guy and has worked on a couple of projects with a reputed Auto house in designing cam shafts. Gamma can look at the production chart of an organisation and can say right away how efficiency can be enhanced by 3%. But here's the other side of the tale: Alpha can play 3 instruments (the guitar, keyboards and drums), Beta is a bass guitarist and a fabulous painter, and Gamma is a flamboyant writer. This is a clear contrast to what others might perceive students of a growing T-school to be like.

At NIT-H, we have come to realise that cultural activities are a necessity that is built into the DNA of our system. Each day, between 8:30 a.m. and 4:45 p.m, we exercise the left half of our brains, And between 4:45 p.m and 8:30 a.m, we exercise the left as well as the right halves. And that makes all the difference in carving out an engineer/architect whose creativity compliments his logic.