Kairos, an event organised jointly by IAESTE, AIESEC, IPSF, and CAM, on International Day, celebrated the spirit of co-operation among countries from all over the world. It was held at the Dr. T.M.A Pai Hall on the 10th of August 2018. Showcasing the beauty of friendship and diversity, Kairos brought students together by the very thing that sets them apart, culture.

The day started off with an event called ‘Quizzing with Kahoot’. The event attracted quite a crowd that almost filled the room. The next event was called the ‘World Café’. People of different nationalities were seated together and were asked to discuss world events. The event saw a lot of important questions being raised such as, “Why are the youth so desperately trying to fit in and experience a sense that they belong somewhere?”, “Why is this becoming a trend nowadays?”, “Why are depression and anxiety so common among young people?”, were a few.

The participants shuffled tables continuously, re-discussing the same questions. This event had a personal touch to it, which made it more gripping. Discussions led to shedding light over topics that are often brushed off, that reflected upon generic problems faced all over the world which are often thought of as endemic. ‘World Café’ was followed by an event called Turncoat. The event created quite a bit of a hustle amongst the hosts as nobody turned up for the event.

The second half of the day started off with a one-on-one conversation between the head of the organisations and the Vice-Chancellor of Manipal, Dr. H. Vinod Bhat. The Vice-Chancellor spoke about the awareness of opportunities and how the narrowing of international boundaries has broadened overall education. The IPSF Head asked an interesting question— “Does internationalisation drive research or vice versa?”, to which the Vice Chancellor answered rather diplomatically saying, ” When likeminded individuals get together, it is natural that it will drive research, and research on a topic brings forth further involvement. It goes both ways.”

NIGERIAN DANCE AND SONG FORM

The last segment of the event was all about vibrant and jolly dance and music performances by a few of the countries. The Nigerian dance group took the entire auditorium by storm with their colourful attire and an extremely energetic dance and song number. The Tibetans showed off their unique dance form that radiated elegance and a sprightly vibe.

In the fashion show, exchange students dressed in traditional attire from different parts of India, portrayed a perfect blend of cultural ethnicity. Chords and Co showcased the artistic soul of Manipal with their enchanting performance. The program ended with a dance performance coined the ’Tadka of Bollywood’, where students of all nations wore beautiful Ghagras and danced to popular dance numbers, setting both fashion and dance standards for the whole of India.

BOLLYWOOD DANCE PERFORMANCE