My Introduction to Sangam, MIT and Cambridge! – Narender Chhabra

After finishing my MS residency requirement of 2 semesters at SUNY Buffalo where I did 8 courses and made progress on my MS thesis; I joined Woods Hole Oceanographic Institute as a research assistant which allowed me to finish my thesis off campus and get my MS degree. While at Woods Hole Oceanographic Institute I was recruited to come join the MIT Instrumentation Laboratory and was given an option to either work full time as a Research Engineer and do my PhD part-time OR do my PhD full-time and work part time at the Instrumentation laboratory to pay for it.

This gave me a chance to come to Cambridge during Christmas 1971, where I still work 6 days a week approaching my 47^th anniversary in Cambridge. My choice for lunch those days was Lobdell. Within a short time, I met Kaplesh at Lobdell. He soon filled me in on Sangam and how he was contesting the post of President of Sangam and needed my vote. So I was taken in. That day led to my volunteering during Kaplesh, Veer, and Subbu’s terms. I owned a bug (the car) and then traded it for a Pinto, both of which came handy for Sangam volunteer work.

One of these jobs was for Vyjayanti (my wife) and I to take Subbu scouting for a Sangam picnic spot in New Hampshire. We found Echo Lake, around 100 miles away from MIT, where, on the day of the picnic, some Sangam’ers were hesitant to pay for parking.

I remember Ashdown house where many of Sangam members lived and where every Friday evening there was a beer party where supposedly Benazir Bhutto used to come. She was studying (maybe at Harvard) during that time. Of course Indian movies at Kresge, 26-100, and 10-250 were greatly popular as that was one of the best ways to meet other Indians in the area. I also remember Sangam participation at the Museum of Science India Cultural Day where Vyjayanti and I participated in the fashion show as a Sikh couple, even though neither of us is a Sikh. Above all, Sangam gave me the opportunity to make life-long friendships with many of you who are coming back to Cambridge!