From the Editor's Desk - Shashi Bellamkonda
From The Editor’s Desk
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| Shashi Bellamkonda |
For me, it has been 43 years since I first walked through the gates of the college. I did not know what to expect, but I quickly realized that college life was memorable experience.
College is a great equalizer. I came from a middle-class family and did not know much about ‘Western’ table etiquette or the ‘5-star’ life. I had only eaten out at local Udupi restaurants and railway catering food. But at college, I learned all these things and made lifelong friends.
College also gave me the skills to be a better spouse. I learned how to cook and host dinner parties. These skills have come in handy throughout my life.
When I was in college, the internet, computers, and even television were not as widespread as they are today. But we were still early adopters of technology. We used every medium we could find to stay in touch, including WhatsApp, Facebook, video calls, and in-person meetups.
In 1981, we launched CatCalls, our college magazine. We used a cutting-edge technology called "cyclostyling" on a Gestetner machine. It was a purely community effort, and we worked nights to produce the magazine. We are grateful to our then Principal and staff for their support and encouragement in making that possible.
A special shout-out to all the lady members of our community. They are still pioneers, and we look forward to the day when there are equal numbers of women joining the college and the community. See our special feature, “The Mad-dam-sels View”, where a selection of women who have graduated from the college look back at their time at college and in the industry.
College taught me how to talk to people at any level with ease and confidence. Whether it was Prime Minister Narasimha Rao who asked me where round plantain leaves grew (we had cut them in the shape of a plate) or talking to CEOs later in life, I was well prepared.
We also learned how to become excellent project managers and customer experience professionals. These skills have helped many of us explore careers outside of the hospitality industry. Those who stayed in the hospitality domain have also seen an excellent career path.
This special issue of CatCalls has been a multi-month, multi-country effort. I want to thank Manoj Kumar for managing this project with enthusiastic help from Chaya Dronamraju, Suresh Kochattil, Parvathi Muthiah, Mohammad Rizwan Ansari, Amir Amrithalingam, Subash S, Rahool K Talwar, Sudip Sengupta, and the members of the Organizing Committee.
I wish you all the best and hope you will continue to be kind and helpful to make this world a better place.
Sincerely,
Shashi Bellamkonda
A proud MadCat
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