MBA: What is TNDC?

In this post you'll get to know what TNDC is all about.

I just directed Jaya, a good friend and "the" great economic consultant, to a comment someone made on my post - "An ode to schooling! (Part 1)". The commentator called the Gujarat pogrom "alleged", and connected it with Muhammad-bin-Qasim, the 8^th century Muslim conqueror. The person also pointed out what some people consider less politically correct poems of Allama Iqbal. I am little surprised because I reported the moments as I lived them, without any value judgment. I did not expect that reaction. Maybe he is right in his beliefs. Perhaps we should punish Allama Iqbal's memory by erasing "Sare Jahan Se Accha Hindostan Hamara" from the collective memory of Indians. My multi-religious upbringing amongst Christians, Muslims, Hindus, Jains, Buddhists, and Sikhs has rendered me incapable of articulating a strong opinion on the subject. What do you think?

As you chew upon that one, with your kind permission I will turn to a lighter topic – Fun@Booth.

TNDC

People below 21 please stop reading now, and go to http://home.disney.go.com/foryou/preschool/

Let us talk TNDC – Thursday Night Drinking Club! It literally means it. I will give you no marks for realizing that it is an event where people get together to get drunk, and it is on Thursdays. It is run by an informal student group – outside the laws and support of Chicago Booth. I repeat – it is a totally student run initiative. Don't go and request a Dean for money for TNDC! He might deny its existence, and might deny your existence a little later. We are strict on discipline at Chicago Booth. For example, passing off someone else's work as your own is considered very bad! Ever heard of that one? It is capital. However, I have strictly adhered to the Honor Code, and would recommend that you stick to that one too.

Every year, TNDC co-chairs select new TNDC co-chairs, and pass on the torch. To become one, I guess you have to be a regular TNDC-goer. Poor attendance at Alcoholic Anonymous meetings may help. Not sure though! Those co-chairs find venues which can accommodate a large number of people, negotiate with the proprietors of those venues for special deals, and then send out an email inviting people to turn up. The catch is that you have to find the mailing list address – currently on Google and previously on Yahoo! – and subscribe to it. So when you come on the campus – subscribe to it. TNDC is a lot of fun!

Speaking of fun – it is not just the drinking which creates fun. It is usually an open event, where friends and family are invited. People come, relax and chat. You need not drink. You can just turn up. The bar-tender won't usually have the time to serve you anyways. You can meet other first years, second years, older years, part-time program students, weekend program students and non-students. You can meet with them with many things in mind, and many different expectations. Just make sure the ring is missing on that finger. I heard it is illegal to mess around in such situations. So many rules! Sigh! (JOKE) You can try and do career and recruiting stuff here. However, try not to spoil the fun of second years. It is a better strategy to be become their buddies here, and then seek professional help, no pun intended, off-TNDC.

Before you get totally trashed – remember that cameras are one of the most common things available at TNDCs. Make sure that you have ways to get pictures off the Facebook before potential recruiters get to see it. A friend once told me about someone whom he was going to interview for a job. He had Googled that man, and found his pictures wearing a bikini. When the interview commenced, a suit didn't really help the interviewee. My friend had a very good imagination, and he didn't like men in bikinis.

Another problem was that TNDCs were usually way up North in Chicago. It created a little bit of a commuting problem for people who lived down South. Yet another problem, specific to me, was that either I don't drink alcohol or I am not supposed to drink alcohol.

STATUTORY WARNING: In US, you must not consume alcohol unless you are really 21 year and above of age. Alcohol causes severe degeneration of biological systems. It messes up with your biological equilibrium. Don't worry about the last one if you are crazy!

With this, I must now say hello to Jaya on Gtalk, and end my post. I dedicate this post to her. Watch out for more on Fun@Booth.