Feature

TARC- My own experience

Syeda Sabita Amin

By now a lot of you guys know what TARC is (I'm assuming from the previous issues that mentioned it). For those of you who don't know what TARC is let me enlighten you. TARC stands for Training and Resource centre. This is where BRAC University sends students to their campus in Savar for a real life experience.

Before joining BRAC I was told we would have to spend a semester there. Tears began rolling down my flushed cheeks as I watched my family tease me about what a change it would be. I thought to myself "Am I that BAD that they want to get rid of me?!?!" Ok so I do have a couple of bad habits like sleeping late and being disorganized but then again I'm still young, aren't most of us like that?

I still remember that night I cried like a baby. Seems just like yesterday. Right now I wish I could go back to that yesterday and re-live TARC.

I can't even begin to explain what I went through when I was there for my summer semester. Well, the first night I sort of got into a girl fight but we soon resolved our issues. There were a lot of clashes in the beginning among us, but eventually all of that went away. I guess that's one of the biggest lessons that TARC teaches us, living in a community.

The second experience I had in TARC, I got hurt during an inter-dorm handball tournament and managed to damage my knee ligaments and so I had it plastered and in a cast. I was the only student in TARC walking about with a walking stick! AND I lived on the 2nd floor of the building (I'm a Nikunjo girl yay!). But my life didn't end there. There were one hundred and seventy six students there and everyday at least half of the people there would care to give me a few minutes to help me out or ask me how I was. The connection and compassion that is created among students would never have been possible if it hadn't been for the place we were in.

The weeks passed by so fast. We had a multi-cultural programme, the inter-dorm sports competitions, the inter-dorm cultural competition (and we WON!) and who could forget the Residential Semester dinners which all the students looked forward to. We had three of them.

The last night we had the last dinner, the concluding dinner. It's weird and I'm not lying but as soon as the dinner was over it started raining. Some sort of hint that it's all over.

The two months of summer semester are over. But the memories that are left in my heart can never be forgotten. The bonds that were made are still there and we said good-bye to the students who left for TARC on the 2nd of September.

They're going there for three and a half months! They have no idea how lucky they are. And they all have the very same sad faces that we had when we went, not knowing what we were going to experience. It's the same story every semester.

It's great that BRAC University gives us this opportunity to experience something so great. I only wish that students from the other universities knew what it felt like.

Fariha Ishrat Khandaker

Through the winding narrow unpaved road I could finally see the gates open. The bus entered the enclosed area that was to be our home for the next two months. All faces had a similar look, an odd mixture of curiosity and reluctance. For most it would be the first time away from their family. That's where the reluctance comes in; no one really wants to be separated from his or her family. Yet the curiosity was there, about the adventure that we had all embarked upon. Life in a community of our own a life this summer in TARC… Our residential semester at BRAC University, summer '06.

We all knew this was going to be a different experience. Whether it was going to be a good or a bad one we had no clue. The first few days went by in just trying to get adjusted to the living conditions. The rooms were simple; just the basics that one needs to live by. I was actually fortunate to have awesome roommates, which made living a little less hectic and more fun. There were six dorms, three for the girls and three for the guys. The most amazing thing about this whole dorm life was that it allowed us to know each other better and see first hand how everyone's lifestyle varied. I found out things about myself that I had taken for granted, but wasn't aware of. Then there were the classrooms, and the English language program (EL-PRO). It was the first time EL-PRO was involved in the residential semester and it brought with itself a big list of activities for us to do. They ranged from art and cooking to karate and yoga. We even had our movie nights. The weekends turned out to be rather engaging as there was a fashion show to be organized, an enchanting candle lit dinner to be attended and a sort of carnival display of the activities that we had taken part in. The last weekend was spent watching fun debates with topics such as whether to legalize marijuana (I shall refrain from letting you know which side won), a talk show (our version of "Oprah"), a play with some very legendary characters, songs, dances and even a karate demonstration.

The best part of this whole summer that we spent in Savar was that we were all able to see the diversity of people and got the opportunity to mingle and become friends.

The last morning when I woke up at around 5 am I saw that a few of the guys were there to play their last football game. It occurred to me how attached we had become to the place. And why shouldn't it be. The breakfast, the tea breaks and all other meals that we had were in the company of our friends. The chatter of familiar voices and the jokes and the laughter… Never again would we all be together in such surroundings. All throughout, the serenity of the place along with the company of new and old friends made the two months seem like a journey that will be adorned in our minds forever.

Copyright (R) thedailystar.net 2006