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| Members of music band Aryans perform during a previous reunion. Telegraph picture |
Jan. 10: Good old school days — the pranks in class, jokes cracked during tiffin breaks, the secret trips to the movies after school and the umpteen lies told at home thereafter — these and many more memories will be relived by Bosconians, old and new, as they get together within the ramparts of their alma mater next week.
Nostalgia-13, the reunion of Bosconians from the yesteryears organised by the Don Bosco Alumni, Guwahati unit in the 65-year-old Catholic school on January 19, is set to take old batchmates on an emotional journey down memory lane.
Not just that. Songs and Bihu by the troupe that featured in the London Olympics opening ceremony and fashion shows will keep them, their families and friends entertained.
The daylong programme will culminate with a performance by North East Breeze, a city-based folk rock band. Over the years, Nostalgia has hosted some of the best musical bands in business — from Euphoria in 2003 to Aryans in 2009.
“The motto of Nostalgia is to network and stay connected with old friends. The alumni firmly believes in benefiting through networking. As social beings, we all are a part of the larger society and cannot stay aloof,” media in-charge of the alumni, Saikh Md Sabah Al-Ahmed, told The Telegraph today.
This is the seventh edition of the alumni meet, which made its debut in 1999. Thereafter, the reunion was held in 2000, 2001, 2003, 2005 and 2009.
The registration for the meet will get over on January 17. “Forms are available in the alumni office on our school’s premises. A special page has been created on Facebook from where registration forms can be downloaded as well. As of today, the number of members who have registered for the meet has crossed 200,” said Ahmed, an alumnus of the 1991 batch.
Fr Antony Thekkel, principal of the school, said, “Being nostalgic about the good old days is rejuvenating and refreshing. Nostalgia 2013 is definitely going to be a memorable event.”
The Guwahati unit of the alumni has around 1,500 members. “Of them, 40 are core members who are actively associated with every event, while around 400 are life members,” Ahmed added.
As D-Day nears, there is nostalgia in the air, already.
Deepak Dhar Borah, founder president of the Alumni and an alumnus of the 1961 batch recalled, “In our days, there were five fields and the school had a hostel as well. I still remember how we day scholars carried chairs to the Assam-type hall to sit and watch movies along with the boarders. Others were charged 25 paisa. Then again, carpentry was a compulsory activity as well. Those days were fun. Much has changed since then.”
“I am eagerly looking forward to meeting some of my old friends at the meet this year,” Borah, a former vice-principal of Pragjyotish College, said.
Pradyut Kumar Bhuyan of the 1987 batch and president of the alumni, adds, “Our alumni has over the years also organised events like the Diwali fest, X-Mas Jingle Mingle, state-level badminton and table tennis meets, charitable programmes to help the underprivileged children, among others.”
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