Lecture halls at NLH were filled to the brim as hordes of students made their way inside for Cambiar 2019 on 10^th September. Playing the role of a platform for clubs and student projects across Manipal to introduce themselves to freshers, it heralded the recruitment season that was to follow in the next few days. The event witnessed twenty organisations compete with each other for student attention. Most clubs made use of surreal promotional videos or performances to accompany speakers as they voiced out the visions of their respective clubs.

Delighting students with a wide variety of options—be it clubs rich with activities, technical clubs or more cultural ones—students were made privy to all the choices available to them before they made an informed decision. “It was instrumental in helping me learn about a lot of clubs that I hadn’t even heard about earlier”, said Vaibhav Raj, a first-year student at MIT.

“It was a record-breaking event and was one of the first major events for freshers this semester. The response was simply incredible—we had originally booked out six halls but had to expand it to nine to accommodate the overwhelming crowd,” noted Mohit Lal, an organiser from Leaders of Tomorrow. A new addition to this edition of Cambiar was that students could register for some club recruitments at the event itself.

With over 1480 attendees, Cambiar 2019 was the most successful edition of the annual event. However, its scale and length were a little too overwhelming for some. “It was nice and informative but could’ve been a little more relaxed—it was hard to keep track of at times,” said Anushka, a first-year student at MIT. “Plus, the strong crowds and long duration made it a little exhausting”, added Avanti, another first-year student at MIT.

With recruitment for various clubs and students projects taking place over the next few days, it is crucial to keep an eye out for the clubs that appeal to one’s own interests. For those who may have missed out on Cambiar, this guide for the various student bodies in Manipal may prove to be useful while making a decision about which clubs to join.

Image Credits: The Photography Club, Manipal