The Hide and Seek Game at College of Science and Technology (CST) 2016-2017

The Hide-and-Seek Game at the College of Science and Technology (CST), 2016–2017

The wind has been pounding relentlessly against every window of the building since around 5:00 PM, with no sign of easing. Not long ago, it wasn’t just the wind making its presence felt — the CST hostel coordinators were also knocking on doors, inspecting rooms for cooking appliances. The corridors echoed with chaos and confusion, and the whole scene felt like a real-life game of hide and seek, instantly taking me back to my long-forgotten hostel days as a student.

Teachers attending the evaluation camp had brought rice cookers, curry cookers, and water boilers to prepare their own breakfast and dinner. This is nothing new; the practice has existed for years. However, this year, strict instructions were issued prohibiting cooking in the hostel. Some were caught red-handed — a phrase every 2016 Class 12 marker knows too well — and warned not to repeat the offense. Any further violation would result in confiscation of cooking equipment and forfeiture of the security deposit. Each room had paid Nu. 4,850 in cash for 15 days, including a Nu. 1,000 security deposit.

The message was loud and clear. Several teachers, with and without families, checked out the very next day and moved to Reldi HSS and Phuntsholing MSS. Many others tried to do the same, only to find the rooms fully occupied — along with most nearby hotels. Transportation soon became a major challenge, and parking an even bigger one.

The CST canteen provides a paid lunch, seemingly sufficient for the 600-plus participants, but breakfast and dinner are left for the hostel residents to manage themselves. Within the campus, there are only about three open stalls. We have been supporting them — but for how long can this continue? The queues are endless, like an old train: long, slow, and dusty. The only practical option is to drive five kilometers into Phuntsholing town for meals, then rush back to the hostel or evaluation rooms.

We still have six more days to go. Living here has become increasingly difficult, and paper evaluation will not stop with this session. Are we prepared to play this game year after year? Are we ready to drive 20 kilometers every day just for meals? Are we willing to rush from Reldi HSS in the morning because our cars were blocked by double parking the night before? Or are we prepared to donate our hard-earned evaluation wages to hotel bills?

Slowly, I feel like I’m developing drapetomania.