Capture The Flag…
Innovation, grades etc. are what business school graduates pursue intensely. But when about two hundred students go colorful, crazy and crafty to steal a flag, a business school, at least for a short while, can resemble a high school playground. That’s exactly what happened when Babson’s first year MBA students tried to Capture The Flag!
It was the first week of December and the semester exams were just a week away, clearly the wrong time for any inter-section competition. But with the first semester coming to a close, it was the last possible chance to hold an inter-section event and the Section Reps decided to go for it and hope for the best. And that was how fun, frolic and the flag itself found its way into the academic calendar of the first year MBA students.
But what’s a battle without a war? And so began a mercurial plan to try and instigate a war between the three sections. While the sections proudly displayed their flags in class, someone from the other section would come and steal it in between class and take a potshot at how the weaklings could not defend their own flag. Well, no one likes to live in disgrace, least of all an MBA student.
So the teams assembled on one chilly afternoon in December to fight back for their flags. Wearing their section colors bright and hearts on their sleeves, Section 1 (Red), Section 2 (Blue) and Section 3 (Yellow) were ready to put their MBA on the backburner for a couple of hours. After the briefing, the teams headed to their own territories to plan out their bases and jails as well as offensive and defensive plans of action.
Section 1, camped near Olin Hall, the home of MBA students at Babson, split up to attack the other sections. Section 2 turned out in large numbers, almost as much as Section 1 and 2 combined. What Section 3 lacked in numbers, they made up for in commitment and craftiness. And then at the stroke of 3’o clock, the battle began. For a full hour, the Babson grounds had seen it all – determination, speed, guile, bravery, chivalry, guerrilla warfare and sportsmanship spirit!
Even when Section 1 was struggling, they kept coming hard at the others. Section 2 on the other hand, utilized their large numbers very well. At a point in time, the Section 1 jail was filled with Section 2 students but the latter’s armies still kept coming as if from the sky. Section 3 used their scarce resources well to keep their jail safe and secure from the reach of the other sections.
But after an hour of deadlock, David Wayland Lee from Section 1 made the breakthrough at a rival camp and then ran for his dear life with the opponent’s flag in his hand. A short blog post such as this can barely capture the efforts, commitment and joy that such a battle drew from the entire batch. But at the end of the day, it was a start to some great times ahead at Babson.
With the Section Olympics due in the spring, the students will have more opportunities to relax and revel in the competitions. At Babson, the chance to work with and learn from one another happens not just in the classrooms but outside too. And for the time being, here’s three cheers to the winners – Section 1.
Wishing you all an awesome and fun filled Christmas holiday,
Cheers,
Kurian Babykutty