Retirement can mean different things to different people; it can be an end of an era for some and beginning of a new chapter for others, depending upon the kind of lens (pessimism or optimism) you choose to see it through. But let’s take a rain check on the philosophical conversations today and take at the middle ground, that is, retirement can be perceived as little bit of both, a celebration of goodbye-cum-hello! At least this line of thought seems to have inspired Graphic Era to give a new leash of life to the first-ever bus of the university.
Usually when the buses retire, they wind up at auction or in the junkyard but what if this didn’t have to be their fate? What if the ritual of students waiting daily for the bus could be preserved and the authenticity of the retired bus could be harnessed to serve the community of students and staff again? These questions apparently led the university management to repurpose and recycle the oldest retired bus of the university into a food truck.
The innovative, tasteful project is the brainchild of Prof. (Dr) Kamal Ghanshala President, Graphic Era Group of Institutions, and Amar Dabral, Head of the Department of Hospitality Management (HM). The food truck will be called ‘Caravan’ and the students & faculty of Hospitality Management Department will take up the role of chefs and business-runners of the food truck.
Stationed near the parking-lot (Gate no 2), the vibrantly-coloured Caravan is set to serve a wide range of lip-smacking delights at reasonable rates to students and staff members as they juggle their busy schedules and recharge in-between or post lectures/work. “Caravan will provide a healthy eating option to all. It will give Graphians a chance to savour the best flavours in their zone without any compromise on the quality and will keep them safe in the campus,” said an official from HM department.
“This is experiential learning at its best. The food truck will give students an opportunity to practice their craft and hone their skills. They will work collaboratively and learn to deal with the pressures of the food industry in a time-bound manner,” commented Hon’ble President, Graphic Era Group of Institutions.
Indeed, there could not have been a better way to pay tribute to services rendered by the dear old bus than this super innovative, goodbye-cum-hello project!
