The story of how Abhyudaya Club organized a three-day space-themed event, collaborated with Astro Club IIT Kanpur, and brought students closer to the wonders of the universe.
Some of the best college memories begin with an idea that seems simple at first. But when people come together, take responsibility, and put in the effort to make it happen, that idea can turn into something much more meaningful.
For us at Abhyudaya Club, Maharana Pratap Engineering College (MPEC), Kanpur, Antariksh Spardha was one such experience.
We wanted to create something different for our fellow students — an opportunity to explore the world of space beyond textbooks, lectures, and regular academic activities. What followed was a three-day event that brought together a space quiz, an expert talk by an IIT Kanpur professor, and a stargazing session in collaboration with Astro Club IIT Kanpur.
Looking back, the event was not just about astronomy. It was also about the effort behind organizing something from scratch, reaching out to another student organization, managing practical arrangements, and learning along the way.
It Started with an Idea
At Abhyudaya Club, we have always seen student activities as an opportunity to learn beyond the classroom. We wanted Antariksh Spardha to give students a reason to explore something new, ask questions, and experience the excitement of space and astronomy.
Instead of limiting the event to a single activity, we planned it across three days. The idea was to make each day different while keeping everything connected through one theme: space.
The first day would challenge students' knowledge through a quiz. The second would introduce them to expert perspectives through a talk by an IIT Kanpur professor. The third would give them an opportunity to experience astronomy more directly through a stargazing session.
It sounded exciting, but turning that plan into reality required more than enthusiasm. We needed people, coordination, preparation, and the right collaboration to make the experience possible.
That was where our journey really began.
Reaching Out to Astro Club IIT Kanpur
One of the most exciting parts of planning Antariksh Spardha was the idea of bringing a stargazing experience to our campus.
Reading about space and watching videos can spark curiosity, but experiencing astronomy more directly can make that curiosity feel much more real. We wanted students at MPEC to have that opportunity.
To make it happen, we reached out to Astro Club IIT Kanpur to explore a collaboration for the stargazing session. Connecting with another student organization required us to communicate our idea, coordinate with the team, and work towards making the proposed session possible.
For us, this was an important step. We were organizing the event through Abhyudaya Club, but the collaboration allowed us to bring a different kind of learning experience to our campus.
It also reminded us that meaningful opportunities often begin when someone is willing to take the first step, reach out, and explore the possibility of working together.
Once the collaboration started taking shape, our attention shifted to the practical details that would bring the event together.
Behind the Scenes: Planning, Coordination, and Logistics
The audience usually sees the final event. The organizing team sees everything that happens before it.
With Antariksh Spardha spread across three days, we had to think about the overall schedule, coordinate the different activities, and ensure that each day contributed to the experience we wanted to create.
The stargazing session brought its own set of arrangements because it involved coordinating with Astro Club IIT Kanpur and preparing for an activity different from a typical indoor college event.
These details might not be the most visible part of an event, but they are often where the real learning happens. An idea that sounds great during a discussion needs careful planning before it can work in practice.
We learned that communication cannot be left until the last moment, that coordination matters at every stage, and that an organizing team needs to be ready to handle practical challenges as they arise.
For us, Antariksh Spardha became an opportunity to experience the complete process — from discussing an idea and building a collaboration to organizing activities for the student community.
And then came the three days we had been preparing for.
Day 1: A Space Quiz to Begin the Journey
Antariksh Spardha began with a space quiz, setting the tone for the days ahead.
A quiz was a natural starting point for an event built around curiosity. It gave students an opportunity to test their knowledge, think about what they already knew, and discover how much there was still to explore about the universe.
Space has a way of making even the simplest questions fascinating. The planets, stars, galaxies, and mysteries beyond our own world remind us that there is always something more to learn.
The first day brought the competitive element of the event into focus while encouraging students to engage with the theme.
For our team, it was also the moment when all the discussions and preparations started becoming a real experience for students. The event was no longer just a plan on paper; Antariksh Spardha had begun.
Day 2: Learning from an IIT Kanpur Professor
The second day took the event from testing knowledge to exploring ideas in greater depth.
We hosted an expert talk by an IIT Kanpur professor on the topic of space arrays. The session offered students an opportunity to engage with a specialized subject related to space and learn from an academic expert.
For engineering students, experiences like these can open up perspectives that go beyond their regular curriculum. They provide a chance to encounter unfamiliar concepts, understand how specialized subjects are explored, and become curious about areas they might not have considered before.
One of the things we wanted Antariksh Spardha to achieve was to show that learning does not have to stop at the boundaries of a syllabus. Sometimes, listening to someone discuss a subject in depth can encourage students to ask new questions and explore a topic further on their own.
After the first day's quiz, the expert talk added another dimension to the event. Students had started by testing their knowledge; now they had an opportunity to explore new ideas.
And there was still one more experience to come.
Day 3: Looking Up at the Night Sky with Astro Club IIT Kanpur
The stargazing session was one of the highlights of Antariksh Spardha and a key reason we wanted to collaborate with Astro Club IIT Kanpur.
After two days of engaging with space through a quiz and an expert talk, the third day brought the experience closer to observation and exploration.
There is something special about looking up at the night sky when you have already spent time thinking about the universe. Ideas that can sometimes feel distant or abstract become more engaging when you have an opportunity to experience astronomy beyond a textbook or presentation.
The session gave the event a different atmosphere from the first two days. It was an opportunity for students to engage with the subject in a more direct way and appreciate the curiosity that makes astronomy so fascinating.
For us at Abhyudaya Club, the session also represented the result of the collaboration and coordination that had taken place before the event. Reaching out to Astro Club IIT Kanpur, working through the necessary arrangements, and bringing the session to MPEC were important parts of the journey.
It was a fitting way to conclude three days dedicated to exploring space — moving from a quiz, to expert learning, and finally to observing the night sky.
The People Behind Antariksh Spardha
Behind every event is a team whose work often begins long before the first participant arrives.
Antariksh Spardha was organized by Abhyudaya Club at MPEC Kanpur, with the efforts of a team that brought different responsibilities and perspectives to the initiative.
The team included:
Tilak Rajawat — President
Kuldeep Yadav — Vice President
Shaswat Singh — General Secretary
Ishan Shukla — Operations Lead
Virat Mishra — Technical Lead
Each role formed part of the broader effort to bring the event together. Organizing an initiative across three days required the team to look beyond the activities themselves and consider how the overall experience would come together.
For Ishan Shukla, the Operations Lead role involved the operational side of the organizing effort. Virat Mishra served as Technical Lead, while Tilak Rajawat, Kuldeep Yadav, and Shaswat Singh contributed through their respective leadership and coordination roles within the club.
Working as a team gave us an opportunity to understand how different responsibilities connect. An event cannot depend on one person or one task alone. It requires people to communicate, take ownership, support one another, and work towards the same objective.
For us, being involved in Antariksh Spardha was not just about our individual roles. It was about contributing to an initiative that offered something meaningful to our fellow students.
What We Learned Along the Way
When we think back on Antariksh Spardha, the lessons that stand out are not limited to the subject of space.
The first lesson was to take initiative. An idea only becomes an opportunity when someone is willing to work on it. Organizing the event showed us the importance of moving beyond discussion and taking practical steps towards a goal.
The second was the value of collaboration. Connecting with Astro Club IIT Kanpur showed us how reaching beyond our own campus can help create opportunities for students. The right collaboration can bring together different strengths and make an initiative possible.
The third was that logistics matter. Planning an event requires attention to the details that participants may never notice. Communication, scheduling, coordination, and preparation all contribute to the final experience.
The fourth was that learning happens outside the classroom, too. The three days offered different ways to engage with space — through a quiz, an expert talk, and a stargazing session. They reminded us that curiosity can grow when students are given opportunities to explore subjects beyond their regular studies.
And finally, we learned that organizing something for others can become a learning experience for the organizers themselves. The process develops responsibility, teamwork, communication, and the ability to turn an idea into something real.
These are lessons we can carry into future projects, professional environments, and other initiatives we take up as students.
More Than Just a Three-Day Event
Antariksh Spardha brought together three different experiences under one theme: a space quiz on the first day, an expert talk by an IIT Kanpur professor on space arrays on the second, and a stargazing session with Astro Club IIT Kanpur on the third.
Each day offered something different, but together they created an experience that moved from curiosity to learning and then to observation.
For Abhyudaya Club, organizing Antariksh Spardha was an opportunity to bring students together around a subject that encourages questions and imagination. It was also a chance for our team to experience the responsibilities that come with planning an event, building a collaboration, and making the idea work.
We are grateful for the opportunity to organize the initiative at MPEC and collaborate with Astro Club IIT Kanpur for the stargazing session.
College gives us many opportunities to learn, but some lessons come from doing something we have never done before — reaching out to people, coordinating with a team, solving problems, and creating an experience for others.
Antariksh Spardha was one of those experiences for us.
The event lasted three days, but the process of bringing it to life is what made it memorable. And if there is one thing we take away from it, it is this: sometimes, the best way to learn something new is to take the initiative to make it happen.
Antariksh Spardha was organized by Abhyudaya Club, Maharana Pratap Engineering College, Kanpur, with Astro Club IIT Kanpur collaborating for the stargazing session.
