Memories of school days

Past Forward

It’s not often that you find Cottonians, who passed out in 1950s, rub shoulders with those who passed out in 2012. They bonded over unlimited food and a couple of drinks at the ‘Old Cottonian Ball’ held in the City recently. What brought them together was their love for their alma mater.

Although the event started almost an hour late, people were in high spirits and waiting to meet  their old friends. A certain excitement was visible on the faces of those gathered. They couldn’t wait to meet their classmates and recollect memories of school. People at every table were talking about how they wished to go back to school.

Metrolife interacted with a few old and young Cottonians to understand their level of excitement. “It’s easy to break ice with an old Cottonian. The house name in school is more than enough to get people to start on a conversation, which eventually takes interesting turns,” said Pranay Prakash, a businessman.

His school friend Karan Joseph, an advocate, observed, “There’s a certain amount of respect and comfort you have when you meet an old Cottonian. There are so many prominent people and getting up close with them, is an experience in itself.”

Akshay Baboo, another old Cottonian, recalled that the most interesting thing about Bishop Cotton Boys’ School is the discipline. “Walk into the school and you will find that the discipline and culture is maintained till date. We tend to carry this discipline forward.”
The Old Boy’s Association of the Bishop Cotton Boys’ School not only puts together the ‘Old Cottonian Ball’, once a year but also organises golf tournaments and cricket matches between old boys and the present batch.

“This is the most-awaited event. Sports is popular with the old and the young alike. They fall in line with the spirit of the game,” explained Sumeet Shetty, a development manager with SAP.
 
 Colonel Lalit Rai, a Kargil war-hero and a Vir Chakra awardee recalled that it is school that has given him the courage to face any situation and handle any crisis.

“It’s a well-rounded institution. I learnt some of the most valuable lessons from school. I still remember that during the lunch break, we would hit the football field instead of having lunch. After sweating it out, the challenge was to finish our lunch before the bell rings,” explained Lalit. Vijaya R, an old Cottonian, said, “It’s quite thrilling to meet my classmates after a long time. A lot of them have become eminent people.” This was the ‘86th Old Cottonians Ball’ and had over 1,000 old Cottonians.

   The music band, ‘Freedom’s Price’ also performed on the occasion.