9 Types of People You Will Find in an Enactus Meeting

Every organization has its share of amazing people, some loony, some whacky, some serious, some mysterious and some totally out of this world. Let us have a look at our very own team of Enactus SRCC and decode people. The views expressed in the article are the author’s own and the aim is not to defame or bring down anyone. It’s a fun article and does not aim to stereotype people.

1. The ‘Argumentative Indian’- He is brilliantly fluent, has an impeccable vocabulary and the ability to critically examine situations. He treats group discussions more like debates and has a carefully weighed list of pros and cons of each situation and discussion. He is smart, but might just not know where to stop. Others might take a nap and wake up just in time before he finishes and acknowledge his monologue with an appreciative gesture, even when the majority finds his lingo alien.
2. The ‘Going Round in Circles’- She is a helpless victim of selective hearing. It’s like there are filters at the ends of her eardrum that randomly do a lucky draw of information to be sent to her brain. She is usually clueless, lost and in her own world. It’s not hard to find her repeating something said in the meeting just 5 minutes back. Don’t worry she’ll catch up.
3.  The ‘Can I Leave Early’- They attend the meetings for half an hour, get 10 phone calls during that period and have to sneak out to be able to keep everyone else happy. Their presentations can’t be postponed and their mothers can’t go grocery shopping some other day. They are just too much in demand. They juggle like a maniac and yet make their presence felt.
4. The ‘Dude, How Will This Happen’- She usually hyperventilates and over-thinks. She takes the task at hand way too seriously and if anything even minutely goes wrong, she cribs and cries over it the whole time. She is usually good at her work, but if anything goes wrong, she will blame herself for it endlessly.
5. The ‘Ho Jayega’- He is superbly chilled out, relaxed and usually the one who counsels people of the previous category. All he needs to do is make a few phone calls and life is sorted. He never really lets anything get to his head and is smart enough to handle things even in the worst of conditions.
6. The ‘I Volunteer’- She is like a sponge. She volunteers for everything, does people’s pending work and helps everyone out. You can continue overflowing her with work and she will never complain. She can meticulously juggle several tasks and still manage to do them all perfectly.
7. The ‘Blink and Miss’- His presence in the meetings is so rare that he might be there and you will not even notice him. He shows up once in a blue moon and ends up giving impractical suggestions. You couldn’t care less about his presence.
8. The ‘High Flyer’- She comes up with the wackiest and most ambitious ideas. Not sparing to care about implementation and execution, her ideas make your jaws drop in amazement. She cannot really imagine how that idea can be implemented, but takes the phrase-‘the sky isn’t the limit’ way too seriously.
9. The ‘Perceptive Observer’- They are the multi-tasking geniuses with the capacity to work their brain cells at the speed of light. Their eyes gauge all around the room at every single person and item as they capture it all just the way a 5-year old does when he lands up in Disney Land for the first time. They usually end up being authors of articles like the one you just went through.

Meetings consume a major portion of our time as Enactus SRCC members. We deliberate and debate on issues for hours all together. They are definitely a lot of fun too! But, nonetheless we always take all our meetings very seriously and ensure maximum output in minimum time!

-Tuheena Raj

Destiny's Turn; Enactus happened

The following article finds Arjun Sahai, a member of the Advisory Board jog his memory about the absurd fashion in which he got into Enactus, three years down the memory lane.

Summarising my entire college experience in a few lines is near impossible, but what I can tell you for sure is that college has been a complete opposite to what I expected.

When entering college, I was very focused on what I had to do in the coming years. I was pursuing Chartered Accountancy and knew that I would be giving my exams in the next two years. Therefore I knew this time would completely involve attending tuitions and studying relentlessly. But I was fully prepared for this as I had been warned by a number of seniors about how tough it was going to be.

Arjun numbers the houses in Nekpur to enable
construction of toilets as the women of the village look on.

In school, I had always been involved in a number of activities but I knew that the same wouldn’t happen in college. The love of acting prompted me to audition for The Dramatics Society. Simultaneously, I attended the orientation of another college society known as SIFE (rechristened Enactus later) which basically undertook social entrepreneurship projects ( at that point it sounded like social work to me, something that I had never been interested in). In any case, I submitted my application form and made the interview round.

                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                            

I told my seniors that I was pursuing C.A. and  might not be able to give as much time as expected. Much to my surprise I became a part of SIFE. Maybe it was my frank nature and the fact that I was truthful about my commitments since the very beginning, or maybe because I told them I travelled by car so I could easily take them for far off visits and meetings.( In hindsight, probably the second one :P)

However as tuitions started I could not give Dram Soc the time it required and decided to give up acting, though I did perform a few times. I thought of telling my SIFE seniors the same, as I saw no point of being in something I cannot commit to. But something  prevented me and I decided  not to leave SIFE immediately.(I think this was one of the wisest decisions that I made in my college life, not that I have many to compare it with!)

As I continued to work for SIFE, I understood the kind of work we actually did and realised the true meaning of social entrepreneurship. I started loving the visits, the meetings, brainstorming sessions but most importantly the connection you make with your community and how you impact their lives. I started missing tuitions round the clock for SIFE work, savouring every moment of it. It doesn’t mean I left the idea of being a C.A. I would take back-up classes and self study at night to compensate. I simply learned to manage time. And trust me, it wasn’t that tough a task because I was enjoying donning multiple hats.

Everything said, what I expected to be a dull period of my life involving only studying, turned out to be one of the most exciting periods. From taking my C.A. papers to becoming  a part of this amazing society in college, which literally transformed me and the way I think, college had it all.

I can very rightly say that SIFE, now Enactus has given me much more than what I gave it.

Arjun strikes a pose with the team during the Rebranding Event of SIFE to Enactus in college

Now passing out and starting with my articleship is very upsetting but the thought of not being all that active in Enactus, is what pinches me the most.

Finally, not to forget, this entire experience has also been so memorable because of the amazing group of friends I made, both outside and within the society!

- Arjun Sahai

Straight from this year's PR Head, Aanavi Dewan -  He may have entered Enactus by chance as he puts it, but don't be fooled! It was his passion and his leadership, both attributes we strongly seek to emulate, that made Arjun an integral part of the fabric of this society. And the car did help, of course.

An awesome Co-President as he was( Yes! He did work his way up there) we at Enactus wish him all the luck and success in his future endeavors. 

Edited By: Sanket Agarwal and Aanavi Dewan