INK's Shalini Prakash speaks to students at RVCE.
INK went to Bangalore’s RV College of Engineering last week to meet students for the INK salon at 8th Mile coming up this Friday. Whenever we go to a college campus, we get inspired by all the young people brimming with ideas and passion. RVCE was no exception to that rule.
INK video editor Godwin Dhas and I spent two hours on campus handing out DVDs of INK2011 to students, telling them about INK, and asking them their opinions. It was interesting to see such a unified call by the students for educational reform towards a more interactive and practical-oriented curriculum. Given their interest in applied learning, I think the students will be particularly keen to hear the technology entrepreneurs who will be speaking on Friday. Speakers Arpit Mohan and Nikhil Velpanur both started companies when they were in their early 20s; Nikhil was only 19! Uttam Chandreshekar began designing model airplanes when he was only a teenager, and Susant Pattnaik has invented a breathing-operated wheelchair—and he’s still a teenager! I just wonder if hearing the personal stories of these groundbreakers is going to inspire somebody sitting in the crowd…and next year there will be an INKtalk at 8th Mile 2013 of an entrepreneur who got his start after being inspired by 8th Mile 2012!
Of course, students are also interested in following their passions. When we asked students what they’d most like to pursue if they had the opportunity and money, almost all the respondents said they wanted to pursue football! While speakers Anusha Yadav and Manasi Prasad sadly aren’t pro-football players, these artists have both managed to make fantastic and critically acclaimed careers out of following their passions: photography and music, respectively.
Every INK event presents a diversified cast of speakers and stories. I’m really looking forward to the INK salon at RVCE on Friday, where I know I’ll be inspired once again by inspirational stories of courage, conviction and dedication to an idea. I hope you’ll join us!
By Shalini Prakash, College Outreach Director
Everybody is welcome to join INK at RV College of Engineering in Bangalore on Friday March 16th, 2012 for the INKtalks at 8th Mile. The event will run from 2 – 3:30 PM. Click here for the speaker line-up and event details.
