"Because I want to fit in." - Patrick Bateman, American Psycho (1991)
After the fresher initiation/torture week ends, the first real order of business for any self respecting B-school incumbent is to get into a committee (or two), and move up the social hierarchy. The chosen few. Position-Of-Responsibility. Everyone has broadly the same pecking order for committees - no one puts Spicmacay on #1.
The process can test anything from diligence (Placecom), technical skills (creatives verticals) or your proficiency in the arts (drama/dance/rock music) because some committees actually require them. As for the selection criteria of committees where everyone is equally qualified? Check whether your committee has a higher percentage of attractive girls than the entire batch. There's your answer.
(Feel free to ignore all this as a sour grapes rant as I didn't get into any committee. Yes, you are better than me).
That is all fine. Someone has to do the grunt work. Fests don't run themselves. It's the 'knowing everything and still taking the hypocrisy seriously when elections happen' that is peculiar.
I will gladly admit that the placement related committees of any B-school are its lifeblood, and groups such as the Sportscom get a bit of unity and brotherhood/pride thing going in a place where such emotions are frowned upon. The consulting committee is the most prestigious on campus, even if they never do anything - therefore it is a beautiful microcosm of consulting as a whole and for that it is, ironically, quite useful.
But when everyone is hauled away at 2 am in the morning to listen to impassioned speech after speech ('I was born for this! Let me be the supreme leader ..... of the IT infrastructure committee!), it all becomes silly soon enough. Some of us are over 25, that's older than Bhagat Singh was when he died. Pause and let that sink in.
We know that Nestle recruiters won't give a shit if the student sitting across the table from them helped design the mess menu or not. They know we know. We know they know we know. But it's tradition now. It's as much a part of the B-school experience as the suddenly getting your freedom back in the second year. Without committees the senior junior bond ceases to exist. So no matter which side of the table you are on at 4:45 am deep into the fourth round of the selection process, always remember this - your committee is probably stupid and no one would even notice if it stopped existing tomorrow.
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About the author:
Abhishek Tahlan is a second year student at XLRI Jamshedpur. He is also part of InsideIIM's student team for 2016-17. He loves listening to music, reading and writing.